Galina Nemceva, a member of the regional Duma in Tomsk from the Fair Russia party, held a public protest (picket) against the blockade of the popular social network Telegram. She ironically posted a photo from the event, where she stood with a banner, on her Telegram profile.
Her banner read: “To defeat fraudsters, you ban Telegram. To defeat pickpockets, will you ban pockets? Fair Russia demands the return of Telegram.”
Nemceva warns that the ban brings serious political, economic, and social costs, while undermining trust in the state. According to her, the authorities act inconsistently, as the state funds information activities on Telegram on one hand, while blocking the service on the other.
The lawmaker is also critical of the technical side of the ban. She claims that failed attempts to fully block the platform only demonstrate the state’s impotence. “The blockade only enhances the reputation of independent platforms. People are learning to use tools to circumvent the ban, which undermines the authority of the government. The result is the strengthening of an 'underground' communication infrastructure that will be even harder to control in the future,” Nemceva said.
In her view, the Telegram ban confirms the authorities’ inability to influence citizens’ opinions using more sophisticated and modern methods, instead resorting to ineffective prohibitions.
