Russian communications watchdog Roskomnadzor said Tuesday it will block Telegram, the popular instant messaging service, if the company does not provide encryption keys necessary to decode user data within 15 days.

To implement a federal legislation enforcing additional measures to counter terrorism, the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) issued an order in 2016, demanding all Internet service providers send it the encryption keys of their users.

In June 2017, Roskomnadzor threatened to block Telegram, registered in Britain, if it refused to register in Russia in accordance with Russian legislation.

Telegram agreed to do so, but it refused to provide encryption keys, which could disclose users' private data.

At that time Roskomnadzor decided not to block Telegram, but in October 2017, a Moscow court fined Telegram 800,000 rubles (about US$13,800). Telegram appealed the ruling to a superior court, but lost.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Russian Supreme Court dismissed Telegram's plea to invalidate the FSB order, Telegram founder Pavel Durov, a Russian entrepreneur, said. 

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