Min sees no point in meeting with Durov, tries to block Telegram

KHANTY-MANSIYSK, Jun 5 (PRIME) -- The Russian Digital Development Ministry does not see the point in initiating a meeting with Pavel Durov, a founder and owner of popular messenger Telegram, which is blocked in the country, but is looking for new technical ways to mute the service, Minister Konstantin Noskov told reporters on Tuesday.

“If Pavel addresses us, we’ll see,” Noskov said on the sidelines of an international IT forum.

The communications service started blocking Telegram in the middle of April following a court decision for the messenger’s reluctance to share decoding keys with the Federal Security Service, the move Telegram says is technically and morally unfeasible.

Noskov said, “(The court) is the final authority, and we must execute the court’s decision. We’re constantly looking for new technical opportunities to implement this decision.”

End