How? IP blocking?
Discussion
Probably. The articles do not go to the technical detail.
Here is one, but you can find more:
I tried to ask Copilot:
According to the web search results, Telegram and WhatsApp were blocked in several regions of Russia, including Yakutsk, on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024. ¹² Some media outlets speculated that the disruptions were linked to protests in the republic of Sakha (Yakutia) over the killing of a local man. ²
The government claimed that the outages were connected to “preventive work” by the local authorities in coordination with Roskomnadzor, the state communications watchdog. ² However, some users suspected that the blocking was an attempt to silence dissent and limit the spread of information. ³
The blocking of Telegram in Russia has a long history, dating back to 2018, when the app refused to share encryption keys with the FSB, the security service. ¹⁴ Telegram managed to evade the ban by using various technical methods, such as routing its traffic through other websites. ¹ The ban was officially lifted in 2020, but some experts suggested that it was ineffective and that Telegram had become a widely used platform for official communication, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. ¹²⁵
To unblock Telegram in Russia, some users have resorted to using VPN services, which mask their IP address and location. ³⁵ However, this may not always work, as some VPNs are also blocked or restricted by the authorities. ³
I hope this answer was informative. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask me. 😊
Zdroj: Konverzace s Bingem, 29. 1. 2024
(1) Blocking of Telegram in Russia - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blocking_of_Telegram_in_Russia.
(2) Widespread Telegram, WhatsApp Outages Reported Across Russia. https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2024/01/24/widespread-telegram-whatsapp-outages-reported-across-russia-a83830.
(3) How to Unblock and Use Telegram in Russia? - The-bestvpn. https://the-bestvpn.com/unblock-telegram-russia/.
(4) Telegram was banned in Russia but users found a way to use it for .... https://www.indiatoday.in/technology/news/story/telegram-was-banned-in-russia-but-users-found-a-way-to-use-it-for-another-2-years-1809586-2021-06-01.
(5) Telegram Blocked in Russia? Try this Quick Fix (2022) - VPNRanks. https://www.vpnranks.com/access/social-media/telegram-in-russia/.