FSB drafted protocol to Telegram for refusing to provide encryption keys

Despite the requirements of the law of Spring, Telegram refuses to decipher the correspondence of users. Pavel Durov writes that in the London office in recent weeks, FSB demands come to issue encryption keys in accordance with the Spring Law. Pavel emphasizes that a similar situation was in Iran, “and in all the years of work we have not blocked a single political channel and have not given the authorities a single byte of personal data.”



One of the documents dated September 14, 2017 ( pdf ) from the FSB in the name of Pavel Durov contains a copy of the administrative offense record against the company Telegram Limited Liability Partnership. According to Telegram lawyers, such administrative protocols inevitably lead to litigation.



The letter from the Federal Security Service said that the protocol was drawn up for the offense provided for in part 2.1 of Article 13.31 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation “upon the non-fulfillment of the obligation to provide the federal executive body in the field of security with the information necessary to decode the received, transmitted, and / or processed electronic messages.



Telegram was offered to send the company's legal representative to the FSS reception office at Kuznetsky Most, 22 with identity and official documents. The company did not do this, therefore, on September 14, the senior consultant of the Organization and Analytical Department of the Scientific and Technical Service of the Federal Security Service of Russia, D. Ovchinnikov. (with the participation of a translator) drafted a protocol on administrative violation in the absence of a Telegram representative.



For refusal to transfer encryption keys to the messenger, a fine of up to 1 million rubles is threatened. Upon imposition of a fine, Roskomnadzor may issue an order on the need to eliminate the violation - the deadline for its execution is at least 15 days. If the prescription is not executed, then within a day access to the service in Russia is blocked.



In the future, Russia may join Iran and also open a criminal case against Pavel Durov.



“The absence of the opportunity to visit Russia from time to time is more painful for me than not going to Iran, primarily because of my parents. But let's survive - a large globe ”, - having written Paul, accompanying his post with a picture:









Telegram in Russia has about 10 million users. Their number has increased particularly after the threats of blocking the service by Roskomnadzor.



Documents from the FSB:



→ Notice from the FSB (31.08.2017, received by the respondent 11.09.2017)

→ Copy of the protocol on administrative violation (09/14/2017)