2024-09-21 16:06:43
Ukraine has banned civil servants, military personnel and other defense and critical infrastructure workers from installing the popular Telegram messaging app on their state-issued devices, describing the move as necessary for national security amid its war with Russia, the Associated Press reported.
Ukraine’s National Cyber Security Coordination Center said it had issued the ban on the official devices of civil servants, military personnel, security and defense workers, and critical infrastructure workers. This was announced today by the Security and Defense Council of Ukraine in a statement on Facebook.
During a meeting yesterday, the Security Service of Ukraine and the General Staff of the country’s Armed Forces stated that Telegram is being actively used by Russia for cyber attacks, phishing, spreading malware, locating users and calibrating missile strikes, BTA reported. .
An exception to the ban will be made for people who use the app in the performance of their official duties. Ukrainians are free to use the app on their personal devices.
The app is widely used in Ukraine not only for sending text messages, but also for reading news, including updates on Russian airstrikes. It is also the main way Ukrainian officials, including President Volodymyr Zelensky, communicate with the public and relay information about the progress of the war. Zelensky will likely continue to use Telegram in his public communications, as this is in his official capacity.
Ukrainian intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov said Russian intelligence services have access to the app’s users’ private messages, including deleted messages, as well as their personal data.
“I have always advocated and continue to advocate for freedom of speech, but the issue of Telegram is not a matter of freedom of speech, but a matter of national security,” Budanov said.