Civil servants in Amsterdam have been prohibited from using Telegram due to "the risk of espionage."

The municipality of Amsterdam has banned its civil servants from using the Telegram messenger on official phones due to the risk of espionage, reported city council member Alexander Scholtens, who handles IT policy matters for the city. Scholtens confirmed to BNR radio that the municipality of Amsterdam implemented the ban at the end of April due to "criminal activity in the app and the risk of espionage." The ban was not publicly disclosed. Amsterdam authorities are also concerned about potential espionage through the app. The radio station noted that, although Telegram was created in Russia, its headquarters are now in Dubai, and the company is officially based in the Virgin Islands.

It is noted that other municipalities in the Netherlands have not banned the use of Telegram. In June, it was reported that the municipality of Amsterdam would stop using cameras made in China "due to concerns about human rights and espionage."