Jun 13, 2019 - World

Telegram CEO: China cyber attack struck app during Hong Kong protests

Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov delivers his keynote conference during day two of the Mobile World Congress at the Fira Gran Via complex in Barcelona, Spain on February 23, 2016.

Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov. Photo: Manuel Blondeau/AOP.Press/Corbis via Getty Images

Telegram CEO Pavel Durov said in a Twitter post a powerful cyber attack that struck the encrypted messaging app on Wednesday came mostly from Chinese IP addresses and "coincided in time with protests in Hong Kong."

Why it matters: It suggests China may have been trying to disrupt huge demonstrations in Hong Kong against a bill that would expose Hongkongers to extradition to the mainland. Protesters in the territory have used apps including Telegram to organize themselves during rallies, The Next Web notes.

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