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Telegram can't do anything if Google and Apple threaten to remove its app from the stores. On Android they've started promoting sideloading the app for a while already, but that's not an option for Apple devices sadly.

They've restored the bot functionality for accounts that are registered with non-Russian phone numbers though.

That only works in so far as the government you're blowing off doesn't have the willingness to actually shut you down and block you or actively threaten your employees in the country (as reportedly happened to Google).

> and block you

You mean like Roskomnadzor has already tried to do to Telegram, and failed?

Bypassing censorship costs money they may not have as much as they used to

No, this is only their marketing shtick unfortunately

Telegram is made by Russian entrepreneurs. Can you really expect them to not bend the knee for Putin?

Definitely. A lot of Russians hate Putin's guts. For Russian enterpreneurs living outside Russia, you have to prove that.

It's the difference with e.g. Chinese expats who, as I expect, would usually be reasonably loyal to Chinese state.