The Russian security service claimed that the app had been used by terrorists to plan attacks, citing a suicide bombing that occurred in April as an example. Telegram, a favorite of the Vatican, has also been used by ISIS to spread a kid-centric learning app. And though Telegram has made an effort to block ISIS channels, new ones are created frequently.

Russia isn't the only country trying to get its hands on some of Telegram's controls either. According to Durov, US agencies tried to bribe the app's team last year and gain some influence with the creator. And Iran recently demanded that messaging apps like Telegram stop storing Iranian users' data outside of the country.

Durov is resisting Russia's demands, saying they are constitutional violations. And he notes that even if Telegram is banned, Russian citizens will just use any of the other available messaging encryption apps. Responding on social media, Durov said, "If you want to defeat terrorism by blocking stuff, you'll have to block the Internet."