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Russia Begins Blocking Telegram Messenger (reuters.com)
Russia's state telecommunications regulator said on Monday it had begun blocking access to Telegram messenger after the company refused to comply with an order to give Russian state security access to its users' secret messages (encryption keys). From a report: The watchdog, Roskomnadzor, said in a statement on its website that it had sent telecoms operators a notification about blocking access to Telegram inside Russia. The service, set up by a Russian entrepreneur, has more than 200 million global users and is ranked as the world's ninth most popular mobile messaging app.
On the plus side, if they block people from using messaging devices, that's fewer people they have to kill when people use the messaging devices to report on news that Russia finds embarrassing.
RIP Borodin.
"That's the way to do it" - Punch
When Russian security services ban your product because encryption too good, isn't that like seal of approval for the encryption?
Silicon Valley doesn't get a pass because they are currently the 'hot thing'. No one is exempt from rules and regulations.
Except Vladimir, of course. But he can fuck off too.
Pain is merely failure leaving the body
Wow, remember when Rusky bots made an effort of blending in?
They actually already banned VPNs a few weeks ago. It looks like VPN is secure and you aren't paying enough attention.
This seems counterproductive. The conflict is making more people aware of Russian snooping which will only push more non-secure users to use a secure messaging app.
Is there an equivalent of the Streisand effect for this situation?
First, a government actually bans its use because they can't spy on you.
Two, no Russian spammers on the network trying to flood it with fake news.
And I honestly don't know what's the better reason...
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
I don't need to translate this using yandex, I am pretty fluent in Russian as it is, and besides I don't really like yandex.
"Zemlya" means land in the sense of earth, soil or real estate. Land in the sense of a country would be "strana". And I haven't heard Russians using "comrade" for three decades.
"It's such a fine line between stupid and clever" -- David St. Hubbins, Spinal Tap
It's a weird situation really. Whatsapp/Facebook messenger and Viber, which are no less popular in this country, are not blocked which begs the question whether these three instant messengers shared their encryption keys with the authorities.
Also, to understand what this country really is, read for instance this. It's a mafia/authoritarian state where money rules and there's no law for those who have no money. Don't even get me started on health care, education and science - which are either semi-dead or completely dead, depending on your point of view.
Silicon Valley doesn't get a pass because they are currently the 'hot thing'. No one is exempt from rules and regulations.
To quote the Russian Ambassador to the UK when giving an award to James Bond for saving Silicon Valley from Max Zoren, "After all, where would Russian computers be without it?"
Learn your own history, Russian!
(-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.