An image generated by artificial intelligence
Tightening security and an escalating internet crackdown are costing Telegram its Russian users, who are now turning to Korean messaging app KakaoTalk.
This chart generated by artificial intelligence shows the sharp increase of KakaoTalk active users in Russia.
As Russian authorities restrict Telegram and mandate state-approved alternatives such as Max, users are seeking refuge in foreign platforms. Russian daily newspaper Kommersant on April 13 reported that KakaoTalk’s active Russian users reached 436,400 in March, an 82 percent surge from the previous month. This figure represents 8.7 percent of KakaoTalk’s global overseas monthly active users as of the fourth quarter of 2025.
The shift occurs as Telegram’s security protocols face critical vulnerabilities. Digital forensic technology can now restore deleted messages from confiscated mobile phones, bypassing Telegram’s automatic deletion and encryption features.
Cellebrite, a forensic firm supplying Korean investigative agencies, said last year that “encrypted messages of Telegram, Signal, WhatsApp, etc. can be identified through artificial intelligence-based tools.” Multiple studies have also successfully restored Telegram messages from highly secured phones.
Telegram has also reversed its stance on cooperating with law enforcement following the August 2024 arrest of CEO Pavel Durov on charges related to the distribution of child sexual abuse materials. The platform now provides user phone numbers and IP addresses to authorities under valid court orders.
This chart generated by artificial intelligence shows Telegram data handovers to the Korean government, which surged to 1,435 cases in early 2025
In Korea, Telegram handed over data on 658 users to investigative authorities in the fourth quarter of 2024, a number that rose to 1,435 in the first quarter of this year. This compliance contrasts sharply with the company’s complete silence during the 2020 investigation of Nth room, a widespread digital sex crimes ring.
Meanwhile, the Russian government is aggressively restricting user access and limiting traffic on Telegram and WhatsApp, penalizing the platforms for refusing to store user data domestically. Authorities are simultaneously encouraging the use of Max, a state-mandated messaging app pre-installed on smartphones.
Russian users are subsequently fleeing to KakaoTalk, which offers Russian language support and only stores data on its servers for a maximum of three days, effectively preventing the Russian government from securing historical chat logs.
Kakao maintains a cautious corporate stance. The company is closely monitoring the situation rather than launching intensive local marketing campaigns, wary that the Russian government could impose sudden regulations on Asian messaging apps at any time.
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.
PakarPBN
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