Durov Slams Russia's App Crackdown, Vows to Fight for Telegram's Survival

• Telegram founder Pavel Durov criticizes Russia's restrictions on his app and others, calling it a move towards state-backed surveillance.
• Users reported lagging and slow traffic on Telegram after Russia's communications watchdog, Roskomnadzor, imposed greater restrictions.
• Roskomnadzor cited Telegram's failure to observe Russian law, protect personal data, and counter fraud/terrorism as reasons for restrictions.
• Telegram faces fines up to 64 million rubles and eight upcoming court hearings; Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov expressed disappointment.
• Russia mandated pre-installation of the state-backed Max messenger app on smartphones, which Durov argues is for surveillance and censorship.