Telegram and WhatsApp Experience Major Outages in Kuban Region Amid Internet

On October 21, 2025, Telegram and WhatsApp users in Russia’s Kuban region faced widespread service interruptions. According to data from Sboy.rf, the Krasnodar Krai accounted for 18% of complaints over a six-hour period, reporting issues with both applications’ mobile and web versions.  Similar disruptions affected WhatsApp, owned by Meta, which is classified as an extremist […]

One-Third of Brands Shift Instagram Audiences to Telegram Amid Russia’s Ad Ban

Following Russia’s ban on Instagram advertising implemented in September 2025, about 32% of brand audiences have migrated to Telegram, according to a September study by Getblogger, an MTS AdTech company. The total advertising budget redirected to other platforms between September and October reached 1.2 billion rubles.  Besides Telegram, 25% of audiences moved to VK, 20% […]

Telegram to Introduce Paid Comment Pinning on Live Streams

Telegram is developing a new feature that will allow users to participate in live streams with the option to pay for pinning their comments. Currently available only on a test server, live streams will be accessible in the “Stories” section. Viewers can spend Telegram’s internal currency, “stars,” to elevate their comments.  The more stars spent, […]

Elon Musk’s X Launches Marketplace for Inactive Usernames, Inspired by Telegram

Elon Musk’s social platform X, formerly Twitter, has launched the X Handle Marketplace, allowing Premium subscribers to request and acquire inactive usernames. The service resembles Telegram’s Fragment platform, where rare nicknames are bought and sold.  Usernames are divided into free “Priority” handles — common word combinations or alphanumeric strings — and paid “Rare” handles, priced […]

ZAB.RU Named Top Regional Telegram Channel in Trans-Baikal Region

ZAB.RU, a digital news outlet, has been recognized as the sole representative from the Trans-Baikal region in Russia’s top popular regional Telegram channels, according to New Media citing TGStat data from October 7, 2025. The ranking considered the subscriber engagement rate, growth dynamics, and total reach, with ZAB.RU reaching over 6.3 million people.  No other […]

New Indian Messaging App Arattai Surges to Over 5 Million Downloads, Challenging Telegram

Arattai, a new messaging app developed by Indian company Zoho, has rapidly gained popularity, achieving over 5 million downloads within days of its October 2025 launch. It outpaced established giants like Telegram, Facebook Messenger, and Snapchat, each garnering around 2 million installs in the same period.  Named after the Tamil word for “chit-chat,” Arattai is […]

Telegram Emerges as Popular Platform for Vintage and Secondhand Fashion in Singapore

Telegram has become a thriving marketplace for vintage and secondhand fashion among Singapore’s youth. Originally a niche interest, the trend has rapidly gained popularity, transforming Telegram into a vibrant shopping hub for curated secondhand clothing, including sought-after vintage pieces and Japanese fashion labels.  The app’s chat-based format allows immediate interaction between buyers and sellers, creating […]

Russians Trust Telegram and TV Most for Cybersecurity News, Prefer Short Posts and Videos

A 2025 study by Kaspersky Lab reveals that Russians interested in cybersecurity news trust Telegram channels the most (39%), followed by television (32%), and Russian news websites (24%). The majority prefer short formats: 66% choose brief posts, and 56% favor video content including TV shows and documentaries.  Longer articles attract 27% of respondents, and 20% […]

Kaluga Authorities Procure Telegram Monitoring Software: Surveillance or Security?

Authorities in Russia’s Kaluga region have announced plans to purchase specialized software for monitoring the Telegram messenger. The Ministry of Competitive Policy of Kaluga has launched an electronic auction for an “Automated Search and Monitoring System for the Telegram Messenger” valued at 1.5 million rubles.  The contracting entity is the state budgetary institution “Center for […]

Telegram Warns French Users of Privacy Risks Amid EU Chat Control Proposal

Pavel Durov  issued a warning to French users about potential privacy threats following the EU’s announcement to vote on the controversial Chat Control initiative. This proposed legislation mandates mandatory scanning of all images and videos in private chats, which Telegram states amounts to near-total privacy violation.  The French proposal, backed by former and current interior […]

6 Russian Telegram Channels for Travel in 2025

6 Russian Telegram Channels for Travel in 2025

Telegram has emerged as an essential platform for travelers seeking real-time updates, travel deals, insider tips, and destination inspiration. For those passionate about exploring new places, several Telegram channels offer…

2025-07-23 Create