Remote employees in Russia may be required to return to the office amid concerns about a potential block of Telegram, according to the Telegram channel Mash.
Read also: Telegram’s Durov slams Spain’s teen tech lockdown as a blow to personal freedom.
The news outlet reported that after Russia’s communications regulator, Roskomnadzor, updated its threat-mitigation settings — which internet service providers use to manage traffic — remote desktop protocol, or RDP, connections began malfunctioning. These connections allow employees to access Windows desktops and corporate systems from outside the office.
Disruptions to encrypted traffic
Users have also reported problems with certain VPN protocols and slowdowns in encrypted traffic through port 443, which is commonly used for HTTPS connections and secure corporate tunnels. As a result, photos, videos, documents and voice messages may load slowly — or fail altogether — in some messaging apps.
Read also: Digital habits: Why Kazakhstan loves WhatsApp and Uzbekistan prefers Telegram.
Businesses are said to be experiencing a sharp drop in productivity, with some clients reportedly cutting ties because of the disruptions.
Companies weigh return to office
Amid the instability, some executives are considering bringing employees back to physical offices, where access to corporate infrastructure is more reliable. While no final decisions have been announced, internal discussions are intensifying, according to Mash.
Read also: Why Kazakhstan’s major bank rejects remote work.
Experts say the potential Telegram block has created significant inconvenience not only for businesses but also for individual users.
Kursiv.media previously reported that Telegram could be fully blocked in Russia as early as April 1, citing sources in several government agencies.
