Ukraine’s parliament moves to restrict Telegram app use for official purposes

Source: Yaroslav Yurchyshyn/Facebook

The Ukrainian Parliament is set to impose new restrictions on the use of the messaging app Telegram for official purposes. Yaroslav Yurchyshyn who chairs Freedom of Speech Committee, confirmed the new policy on social media. The lawmaker justified the move, citing recommendations from the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine (NSDC).

The parliament employees now need to lock their computers and are not allowed to send official information via Telegram. This extends to both work computers and personal devices used for professional purposes.

To further tighten security, technical blocks on accessing Telegram from work devices will be implemented, along with monitoring of any unauthorized access attempts.

These precautions come after several incidents were reported where outsiders gained access to government officials’ data and even created a fake account of Parliament’s Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk.

It’s worth noting that the restrictions only apply to parliamentary staff and do not affect personal use of the messaging app.