Moscow, April 23: Russian telecom watchdog Roskomnadzor said on Sunday that it has banned a number of Google IP addresses that allow instant messaging service Telegram to escape blockage in Russia over user data disputes.
"Google failed to meet the requirements of Roskomnadzor and in violation of a court verdict continued to allow Telegram to use its IP addresses to carry out activities in Russia," Roskomnadzor said in a statement, Xinhua reported.
On Monday, Roskomnadzor began blocking Telegram in accordance with a court decision due to the messenger's refusal to provide encryption keys necessary to decode user data.
However, Telegram managed to bypass the blocking and continued its activities using IP addresses belonging to Google and other technology companies.
After the Russian watchdog later began to block the IPs as well, users lost connection to Telegram on Sunday.
The disputes over the ban go back to a long-term battle between Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) and Telegram.
The FSB has been demanding access to messages on Telegram on the suspicion that it was used to organize terrorist activities, including a deadly metro bomb attack in Russia's second-largest city of St. Petersburg last April.
Telegram, which is popular among Russian people and organizations including the Kremlin, refused to comply with the demand, citing privacy laws.
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New Delhi (PTI): Soon after a car explosion near the Red Fort killing at least eight people, Delhi Police commissioner Satish Golcha on Monday said the blast took place in a slow-moving vehicle near the Red Fort traffic signal.
Talking to reporters at the blast site, he confirmed multiple deaths and injuries, and said Union Home Minister Amit Shah was being regularly briefed about the incident.
"There was a blast around 6.52 pm in a slow moving vehicle near Red Fort. There were passengers inside the vehicle," Golcha said, adding other vehicles were damaged in the incident.
Earlier, officials said that the explosion happened inside a parked car.
The police commissioner said all agencies, including Delhi Police, forensic team, NIA, NSG, are taking stock of the situation.
"Some deaths happened, few people got injured. The situation is being regularly monitored. The home minister is being regularly briefed," he said.
A high-intensity explosion occurred near the Red Fort metro station on Monday evening, gutting several vehicles and killing at least eight people, officials said.
Twenty-four people were injured in the blast that took place at a time when the area was milling with people. The injured were taken to the LNJP hospital a few kilometres away.
