A comprehensive analysis by The New York Times examining over 3.2 million Telegram messages from 16,000 channels has revealed that the messaging platform is significantly affected by illegal and extremist content.
Notably, the investigation uncovered 1,500 channels linked to white supremacist groups, alongside at least two dozen channels engaged in the sale of weapons and over 22 channels advertising the delivery of illegal drugs, including MDMA, cocaine, and heroin.
Adding to the controversy, Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of Telegram, was recently arrested in France. Authorities maintain that the platform’s inadequate content moderation has implicated Durov as complicit in the illegal activities occurring on the site.
In response to the mounting criticism, Telegram has revamped its website to incorporate abuse reporting features, while Durov has taken to his Telegram channel to express the opinion that, “Using laws from the pre-smartphone era to hold a CEO accountable for crimes committed by third parties on the platform he oversees is a flawed approach.”