Google’s IP Addresses Blocked in Russia Soon After Banning Telegram Messenger
Recently, Russia banned Telegram application because its founder Pavel Durov declined to hand over the encryption keys when the government asked him to do so. But, Telegram figured out how to bypass the blocking and proceeded with its activities via IP addresses, which belongs to Google and other technology companies. After that, Russia’s communications controller Roskomnadzor announced that it had added millions of IP address to its blacklist, which belongs to Amazon and Google, asserting they were being utilized by the recently banned instant messaging app Telegram.
Note: At the time of this writing, the total number of blocked Internet Protocol addresses were right around 16 million.
The disagreements over the ban turned into a long-term battle among Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) and Telegram. The FSB requested to access the messages because there was a doubt that the Telegram was utilized to organize terrorist activities, including a destructive metro bomb attack in the St. Petersburg, which is the second-largest city of Russia. Roskomnadzor, who is Russia’s communications regulator, has claimed that Telegram poses a threat to the country’s national security. Thus, they requested Apple and Google to comply with the Telegram restriction to prevent Russian citizens from being able to download the Telegram from their app stores.
While neither Google nor Apple has flagged that they have restricted the application from their respective Google Play Store and App Store then, numerous websites sites and services across Russia have been affected by the ban.
Impact of Banned Google’s IP to Block Instant Messaging Service: Telegram
Russia is one of the authorized nations in the world that has enforced a sort of digital firewall, blocking periodically or permanently certain online content. Now, Russian users cannot access their Telegram as well as other services, which route the content through proprietary servers of Google and Amazon. Some users started to use VPNs to access the content but, Telegram has not required relying on this trick to get used. Many individuals point it as the main reason for the clampdown on IP address.
RKN is strictly blocking the Telegram thus, many users continue using it without mediators. The decision taken by Russian communications administrator Roskomnadzor to ban the Telegram is affecting many other Google services. Google affirmed that some of its proprietary services are heavily affected by the IP crackdown. According to Google’s investigation, Russian users were unable to access some Google products, including Gmail, Android push notifications as well as Google search. The mass IP blockage is going in an effort to curb the Telegram from jumping from one IP address to a new one if one is blocked by Roskomnadzor authorities.
Due to all this, Roskomnadzor has incorporated into the registry of restricted information of IP addresses of Google that has been utilized by Telegram to carry out its activity in Russia.Several demonstrations have been held in the nation, with users against the restriction gathering in Moscow and St Petersburg.
As Telegram is very popular among Russian users and organizations. However, when Pavel Durov refused to provide the encryption keys of Telegram, the war begins. Then, Russian telecom watchdog started banning Google’s IP addresses to block Telegram messenger. However, interruption in Telegram services heavily affected Russian users and organization. Thus, to continue the communication users started to search another highly encrypted messaging applications such as WhatsApp and start migrating towards it.