The Latest Breaking News from VKontakte

Revealed: how Russia uses mobile ‘super-app’ Max to spy on its citizens

Research shows tens of millions of people are being forced to use platform that amounts to ‘backdoor’ on their device

The Guardian - UK · Sep 18

Russian tech giant VK is suing Apple for blocking its apps — and wants $696,000 a day in compensation

VK has sued Apple in Moscow, seeking restored apps and 58 million rubles in daily penalties for continued removals.

TechRadar · Aug 24

Quote of the day by Pavel Durov: 'My success and health come from 20+ years of abstaining from alcohol, tobacco, coffee, pills, and illegal drugs'

Pavel Durov is a Russian-born technology entrepreneur best known as the co-founder and chief executive officer of Telegram, a globally popular cloud-based messaging app. Born in Saint Petersburg in 1984, Durov first achieved widespread fame after launching VKontakte, often called VK, in 2006. Built as a local equivalent to Facebook,…

The Times of India · Aug 10

Apple removes Russia's VKontakte from App Store

Russia's popular social network VKontakte has been removed from Apple's App Store without prior notice, sparking outrage from Moscow. The Kremlin has demanded an explanation from the tech giant, deeming the move 'bizarre' and questioning Apple's reliability. This action follows the earlier removal of the state-backed Max messenger, impacting millions…

The Economic Times · Jun 25

Kremlin forcing big firms to join ‘witch-hunt’ against internet rebels, claims report

Campaigners say banks and web platforms are being told to collect data on customers visiting blocked sites

The Guardian - UK · Apr 21

Over half a million VKontakte accounts hijacked using malicious Chrome extensions

Five extensions were doing all sorts of malicious acts, including stealing payment data.

TechRadar · Feb 17

Biography aims to fill gaps in story of ultra-libertarian Telegram founder Pavel Durov

Like many of his US counterparts, the Russian science prodigy turned hugely successful ‘digital populist’ has a deep suspicion of government constraint

The Guardian - UK · Dec 23, 2025

‘Internet prophet’: arrest of Telegram CEO could strengthen heroic image

Pavel Durov will probably use French legal disputes to position himself as a champion of free speech, say observers

The Guardian - UK · Aug 31, 2024

Who is Pavel Durov, the enigmatic French-Russian boss of Telegram?

Pavel Durov, CEO of messaging service Telegram, is a tech titan known for his fierce defence of privacy and free speech. Recently released from French police custody after four days of questioning over Telegram's alleged misuse, Russian-born Durov – a naturalised French citizen known as "Paul Du Rove" in France…

Radio France Internationale · Aug 29, 2024

Free-speech champion or cybercriminal? Here's why French authorities really arrested Telegram billionaire Pavel Durov

Durov ran afoul of Russian authorities when he refused disclose data about innocent protestors, now the French say he's done the same for criminals and terrorists.

Fortune · Aug 28, 2024