Telegram

Russia accuses popular messaging apps of facilitating crime and sabotage as Moscow’s online restrictions tighten amid war in Ukraine.

Russia has announced restrictions on voice calls made on the WhatsApp and Telegram messaging apps, the latest moves by Moscow to tighten its control over the internet.

The curb on calls is set to impact WhatsApp’s estimated 96 million monthly users in Russia and Telegram’s more than 89 million users, according to Russian media monitoring service Mediascope.

In a statement on Wednesday, Russia’s media and internet regulator, Roskomnadzor, justified the measure as necessary for fighting crime.

“According to law enforcement agencies and numerous appeals from citizens, foreign messengers Telegram and WhatsApp have become the main voice services used to deceive and extort money, and to involve Russian citizens in sabotage and terrorist activities,” the regulator said.

“Repeated requests to take countermeasures have been ignored by the owners of the messengers,” it said.

Moscow wants the online messaging services to provide access to user data upon request from law enforcement.

“Access to calls in foreign messengers will be restored after they start complying with Russian legislation,” Roskomnadzor said.

While authorities said only voice calls on the platforms were restricted, users in Russia also reported that video calls were also affected.

Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Moscow has been expanding control over the Russian part of the internet. Security services have frequently claimed that Ukraine was using Telegram to recruit people or commit acts of sabotage in Russia.

The Russian government adopted a law last month punishing online users for searching content deemed illicit by authorities. Plans are also in place for popular messaging services to be replaced by a domestic Russian app called Max, which critics fear will allow authorities access to the data.

A WhatsApp spokesperson said in a statement that the encrypted messaging app “defies government attempts to violate people’s right to secure communication, which is why Russia is trying to block it from over 100 million Russian people”.

In a statement sent to the AFP news agency, Telegram said that it “actively combats misuse of its platform, including calls for sabotage or violence, as well as fraud”, and removes “millions of pieces of harmful content every day”.

Telegram, which was developed by Russian tech entrepreneur Pavel Durov, faces longstanding accusations in several countries, including Russia, of not doing enough against criminal users.

It seems Elmo’s world recently included vitriolic racist, antisemitic and foul-mouthed social media posts.

“Sesame Street’s” perpetually 3½-year-old mascot caught his social media fans off guard over the weekend as he seemingly traded in his wholesome tweets on X for hateful posts, including calling for violence against the Jewish community and others using lewd language to demand that President Trump release Jeffrey Epstein’s “client list,” alleging he was involved in the late financier’s sex trafficking operation. The obscenity-laden posts shared Sunday went viral, with screenshots also making the rounds. As of Monday morning, the posts had been scrubbed from Elmo’s page.

A spokesperson for Sesame Workshop, the organization behind “Sesame Street” and Elmo, told the Associated Press in a statement, “Elmo’s X account was compromised by an unknown hacker who posted disgusting messages including antisemitic and racist posts.”

“We are working to restore full control of the account,” the spokesperson added.

A representative for X did not immediately confirm the alleged hack or provide additional information to The Times on Monday.

In addition to the problematic tweets, the alleged hacker left a mysterious link on the beloved puppet’s page. The link, which has since been removed, redirected followers and internet sleuths to a user’s Telegram channel. On Telegram, the user appears to take credit for the hack. “Thanks Elmo,” reads one Telegram message shared Sunday, the same day Elmo’s odd posts hit the timeline.

In another Telegram message, the user praises Adolf Hitler and rapper Ye (formerly Kanye West), who has his own handful of controversies involving antisemitism and hateful comments.

The since-deleted tweets presented a very dramatic tone shift in the red furball’s online presence. Elmo, whose X activity mostly consists of photos with friends and wholesome greetings, notably broke the internet last year with an innocuous post: “Elmo is just checking in! How is everybody doing?”

The tweet, which is pinned to the top of Elmo’s profile, prompted some brutal honesty from a range of followers. “Resisting the urge to tell Elmo that I am kinda sad,” replied “West Side Story” star Rachel Zegler.

Fielding online confessions of existential dread and general anxiety, Elmo responded to fans that he “learned that it is important to ask a friend how they are doing.”

He added: “Elmo will check in again soon, friends! Elmo loves you.”

In the wake of the viral tweet, Sesame Workshop also offered fans and followers a mental health resource guide on its website, reminding users on X that “Mental health is health!”

Clearly, the alleged hacker didn’t get the memo on Elmo’s longstanding agenda of kindness and compassion.

Former Times staff writer Nardine Saad contributed to this report.