The Federal Antimonopoly Service will not impose fines on Telegram advertising until the end of 2026. The agency officially confirmed the illegality of such promotion, but introduced a moratorium on sanctions so that market participants have time to adapt to the new rules. What will happen on January 1, 2027 is still unclear.
Initially, the transition period was set until December 31, 2026 inclusive. However, according to the post, the possibility of extending it is now being discussed. The reason is banal and predictable: Telegram still remains a central communication channel for millions of users, and its national messenger MAX, which is positioned as a replacement for all other messengers, is not yet ready to fulfill its role in full.
The situation is getting worse following the recent incidents. Thus, on November 2, 2026, hackers broke into the administration panel of the mobile application "Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia" and the department's official channels in the MAX messenger. The attackers sent false messages about "launching nuclear warheads" in 33 regions of Russia. Later, the Ministry of Emergency Situations stated that the hack did not damage the warning system; The very act of compromising the national envoy raised further questions about his security. The next day, hackers broke into MAX again and started spreading similar messages, among others on behalf of officials and even on behalf of the governor of the Bryansk region, Yegor Kovalchuk. Also in early November, State Duma Deputy, member of the Labor, Social Policy and Veterans Affairs Committee, and member of the United Russia faction, Svetlana Besarev, reported that her account had been hacked.
The scope of the possible consequences of the Telegram advertising ban on the market is significant. According to participants in the advertising industry, in 2025 Telegram accounted for about 40% of the marketing budgets of influencers, and YouTube accounted for another 30%. The total volume of this sector is estimated at 50-60 billion ₽.