Telegram messenger, as well as other online services which fail to comply with the requirements of the Russian legislation, will not operate in Russia, Communications Minister Nikolai Nikiforov told RIA news agency.
"We have no bias toward either Russian or foreign internet services. As is written in the law, so it will be, no other options here. Services that will not comply with Russian laws in Russia will not operate in Russia," Nikiforov stressed, adding that the ban may also hit other messengers, such as WhatsApp and Viber, as well as Google's search engine and Facebook, RIA reports.
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Telegram boasts a vast army of 10 million users across Russia, according to Mr. Durov.