Pavel Durov announced that Telegram will ban “numerous channels” this week for doxxing and extortion after receiving hundreds of user reports. The messaging app’s founder stated that the company has “undeniable evidence” that channel administrators published defamatory posts, then deleted them for payment from victims, with some selling “protection blocks” — fees victims pay to avoid being targeted.
Since 2022, Russian courts have sentenced the administrators of multiple Telegram channels to prison for extorting money from Russian officials and businesspeople in exchange for “protection blocks.” A 2023 investigation by Meduza and The Bell revealed that the state defense corporation Rostec orchestrated the arrests of multiple channel administrators. In April 2025, Rostec proposed criminal penalties of up to 10 years for “protection block” schemes on Telegram.
