MOSCOW, June 28 (RAPSI) – Pavel Durov, founder of the Telegram messaging app, agreed to register the service in Russia after the communications watchdog Roskomnadzor said it might be banned. 

However, he refused to abide by “laws incompatible with Telegram privacy policy,” Durov wrote on his VKontakte (VK) page on Wednesday.

By giving consent to the messenger’s adding to the register, we do not assume “any supplemental obligations,” Durov wrote. We can only promise the same level of cooperation with the Russian regulator as in other countries, specifically, coordination in removal of public information connected with propaganda of terrorism, drugs, calls to violence, child pornography and combatting spam delivery, he stated.

Earlier in June, head of the communications watchdog Roskomnadzor Alexander Zharov requested the Telegram management to comply with the Russian legislation or face blocking of the messenger.

Roskomnadzor demanded Telegram to follow the rules set for organizers of information distribution. “There is only one requirement, and it is simple: fill out the questionnaire with information about Telegram’s managing company sent to you,” Zharov said. The company also needs to officially ask the watchdog to enter this information in a special registry, he added. The head of Roskomnadzor noted that Telegram’s legal status would not be affected.

According to the Federal Law “On Information, Information Technologies and the Protection of Information”, organizers of information distribution on the Internet must submit information about users and their messages to the authorized governmental bodies conducting investigative activities and ensuring the state security.