With Telegram blocked, Russians turn to cat feeders, classifieds, and robot vacuum cleaners to stay connected

As Russia’s federal censorship agency, Roskomnadzor, continues to block Telegram, users across the country have begun looking for workarounds. Not, as one might expect, by jumping to another messaging app still flying under the agency’s radar, but by turning to far less obvious corners of the Internet — and even everyday devices. Online games, office tools, household appliances: almost anything, it seems, can double as a communication channel if it helps avoid installing the state-backed mess...