Moscow court fines Telegram $93,000 for failing to remove content calling for extremist activity

A Moscow court on Tuesday fined the messaging app Telegram 7 million rubles (about $93,000) for failing to remove content containing calls for extremist activity, Russia's state news agency TASS reported.

Telegram’s total unpaid fines have now reached nearly 50 million rubles (approximately $666,000) for violating Russian laws, it added.

Russia’s communications regulator said in February it would slow down Telegram under federal law, citing the platform’s failure to comply with about 150,000 requests to remove prohibited content, including child abuse material and drug-related posts.

Telegram remains widely used, including for military communication, but faces growing pressure from Roskomnadzor, Russia's state media and communications watchdog, over data localization and counterterrorism regulations.

On Feb. 10, Roskomnadzor said Telegram was still violating Russian law and warned that efforts to restrict its operations would continue.