Alexei Navalny allies accused Telegram on Sunday of censoring Russia’s parliamentary elections after the latter followed Google and Apple.
The three apps restricted access to their voting campaign in the Russian parliamentary election.
Additionally, they had already accused Google and Apple of giving in to Kremlin pressure.
The two companies had removed from their stores an app that Navalny’s allies hoped to use in the election.
The app provides details and recommendations that challenge the party backing President Putin.
Pavel Durov, Telegram’s founder, said the platform would prevent election campaign services.
He added that he decided this because of Russia’s ban on campaigning after the polls, as he considered it legitimate.
A spokeswoman for Navalny, Kira Yarmysh, rebuked the move.
“It’s a real disgrace when private companies that allegedly defend the ideas of freedom impose censorship,” she tweeted.
Ivan Zhdanov, Navalny’s political ally, said the move appeared to have been planned in an agreement with the Russian authorities.
Russia has for years sought sovereignty over its part of the internet, where anti-Kremlin politicians have followings and media critical of Putin operate.
Russia has sought for years sovereignty over the Internet, as anti-Kremlin politicians have a wide audience criticizing Putin’s government.
Russia’s party ratings
Despite the crash in its ratings, analysts expect the United Russia ruling party would still win the election.
The voting opens from Friday to Sunday; it follows the largest clampdown on the Kremlin’s domestic opponents in years.
The Telegram accounts of Navalny’s team continued to operate as usual on Saturday.
Moreover, they included Google Docs’ links for voting recommendations in their feed.
On a separate Telegram feed, they said Russia had made a deal with Google to remove the recommendations from Google Docs.
Google later asked Navalny’s team to take down the content of the recommendations.
Russia attempted to ban Telegram in April 2018 but removed the ban after two years of failing to block it.
“The app block by Apple and Google creates a dangerous precedent that will affect freedom of expression in Russia and the whole world,” Durov said.
