Internet Restrictions in North Caucasus: Telegram Blocked in Dagestan and Chechnya

At a press conference, Dagestan’s Minister of Digital Development, Yuri Gamzatov, announced that Telegram's messaging app had been blocked in the republic due to "information security concerns, Orda reports, citing The Caucasian Knot.

Previously, authorities had denied the blocking.

Gamzatov clarified that the decision to block Telegram in Dagestan was made at the federal level based on recommendations from law enforcement agencies. He also referenced the antisemitic riot at Makhachkala airport in October 2023.

As an alternative, the Minister suggested that residents use VKontakte.

Gamzatov stated that the Telegram messenger has also been blocked in Chechnya.