The messaging platform Telegram reportedly plans to open a representative office in Russia in accordance with “landing” regulations that require foreign IT companies to establish a local presence and comply with government requests. Russia’s media regulator, Roskomnadzor, told reporters on July 17 that the process of opening Telegram’s representative office is currently “in the coordination stage.” Officials did not specify when this process began.
On his Russian-language channel, Telegram founder Pavel Durov seemed to dispute Roskomnadzor’s claim that a representative office is in the works, quoting a recent post where he wrote, “It’s possible that we’re dealing not with harmless journalistic errors, but with a targeted campaign to discredit Telegram,” and adding the text: “100% 😺.”
Telegram already complies with some Russian regulations on foreign IT companies. For example, the platform has posted a special electronic form and registered a personal account on Roskomnadzor’s website. However, the most recent archived registry data show that Telegram had not fulfilled any of the Russian authorities’ “landing” law requirements as of August 2024.
Russia adopted its “landing” law for foreign IT companies in the summer of 2020. In 2021, Roskomnadzor published a list of foreign firms required to comply with the new requirements. The list includes Telegram. Under the law, companies are required, among other things, to establish a branch in Russia, respond to requests from Roskomnadzor, and place a feedback form on their website.