, Columnist
Russia's Telegram Ban Isn't Just an Attack on Privacy
A tech company with Kremlin ties is rising just as a popular messaging app hits a regulatory wall.
The Russian Zuckerberg doesn't get nearly as much latitude.
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Imagine if the U.S. banned Facebook after Mark Zuckerberg's disappointing performance last week on Capitol Hill. Something similar happened in Russia on Monday as the country's internet censorship agency, Roskomnadzor, ordered internet providers to block access to the Telegram messenger.
This being Vladimir Putin's Russia, the ban isn't just an attack on the freedom of communication and expression: It happens to benefit the business of a Kremlin-friendly billionaire.