Tech

Pavel Durov’s Russian biographer explains the tech-bro feudalism that drives Telegram

Earlier this year, Telegram raised $1.7 billion from convertible bonds — funds earmarked to pay off debt due next year, leaving about $745 million in surplus. In December 2024, in its first profitable year, the company reportedly earned a profit of $540 million on revenue of $1.4 billion. This year, Telegram’s profits are expected to top $700 million on $2 billion in revenue. The social network reportedly has more than 1 billion monthly active users, including 15 million paid subscribers — a figure that has doubled over the past year.

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Blind Russians lose access to accessibility app Be My Eyes as Internet restrictions tighten

Since mid-December, the app Be My Eyes — designed to assist blind and visually-impaired people — has been barely functional in much of Russia. Some users suspected the service had been blocked. Roskomnadzor, Russia’s federal censorship agency, claims that isn’t the case.