The founder of Telegram, the controversial encrypted messaging service, vowed to shut down “terrorist-related” public channels after Indonesian authorities blocked access to the platform for spreading “radical and terrorist propaganda”.

On Friday the Indonesia government blocked access to Telegram, citing security concerns. Communications Minister Rudiantara told Reuters Telegram had not processed government requests to take down “radical” content quickly enough.

In a message on the site Telegram founder Pavel Durov (pictured) claimed there had been a “miscommunication” with Indonesian authorities, as he was not aware of a request by the government to take down certain channels, Reuters reported.

“Telegram is heavily encrypted and privacy-oriented, but we’re no friends of terrorists,” Durov said on his channel, adding the company took steps to block certain channels reported by the Indonesian government to carry terrorism-related content.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo said other social media platforms would not be affected by the ban.

Telegram has often been mired in controversy, chief among which are reports its high security means it is used by terrorists.

Many messaging apps, including Telegram and WhatsApp, offer end-to-end encryption, which means not even the companies running the platform can see the messages.

Security officials in several countries have complained these apps provide a safe space for militants to communicate with each other, with Australia and the UK urging technology companies to do more to help security agencies thwart threats, Reuters reported.

In late June Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) said Telegram was used by terrorists to plan attacks in the country. The claim came days after Russian regulator Roskomnadzor threatened to block Telegram if the secure messaging app maker did not provide information about the company which controls it.