Russian authorities have decided to begin slowing down the messaging app Telegram.

According to an IT industry source and two officials from relevant government agencies, the Russian Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media (Roskomnadzor) plans to start implementing measures to partially restrict Telegram’s operation as early as February 10. One additional source said that steps to throttle the service are already underway, The Caspian Post reports via Russian media.

The move follows earlier restrictions imposed by the regulator. In August 2025, Roskomnadzor limited voice calls on Telegram and WhatsApp, which is owned by Meta and designated as extremist and banned in Russia. At the time, authorities justified the restrictions by claiming that messaging apps had become primary tools for fraud, extortion, and the recruitment of Russian citizens into sabotage and terrorist activities.