European Court of Human Rights announces a communication on Telegram App case

The European Court of Human Rights published a communication on the case filed by Telegram against Russia, which relates to the Russian government blocking the Telegram App. The app allows users to send messages with end-to-end encryption that cannot be deciphered even by the app itself. Following a refusal by Telegram to provide decrypted information about suspected terrorists using the app, a district court in Moscow ordered the blocking of the app. Telegram complained before the European Court of Human Rights that its blocking for refusing to provide access to confidential information amounted to an interference with the freedom of expression enshrined in Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The European Court now requires the parties to provide their response on whether the government’s interference is necessary in a democratic society and whether it was prescribed by the law.