Authorities in Amsterdam have decided that government employees will no longer use the Telegram messaging app on work devices. The move was attributed to concerns about criminal activity, potential enforcement risks, and possible espionage. The restriction, explained in a radio interview, began in April but was not publicly announced until today. Officials described Telegram as a channel that has been exploited by bad actors to coordinate scams and illicit activities, including drug distribution, which added to the caution around its use for official communication.
Amsterdam stands out as the only municipality in the Netherlands to impose a Telegram ban on its staff. The decision has prompted discussions about how cities balance digital communication tools with security and privacy concerns. While Telegram has positioned itself as a fast and private messaging platform, authorities emphasized that the nature of its security configuration and the difficulty of fully auditing traffic can complicate compliance with governmental information standards and data protection rules.
In related developments, Telegram faced a separate legal outcome in Russia. On a different regulatory front, the platform was fined a substantial amount for failing to comply with local information removal orders. The penalty reflected a broader enforcement push against online services that do not promptly delete content deemed prohibited by authorities. The case underscored the global tensions between platform policies, national laws, and the practicalities of enforcing digital content rules across jurisdictions.
Meanwhile, other tech developments continued to shape the regional tech landscape. There were reports of actions affecting developers connected to Russia and Belarus, including advertising restrictions that impacted how certain software products could be marketed. These moves illustrate the ongoing volatility of tech regulation in the region and its potential implications for international tech firms and local governments alike.