Telegram founder Pavel Durov revealed in a Sept. 6 announcement that Telegram is cutting certain features from the platform, including media uploads to the platform’s “Telegraph” blog and disabling the “People Nearby” feature.
Durov told his followers that media uploads to the blogging platform were “misused” by malicious actors, explaining that the vast majority of the Telegram community was not abusing these features. However, Durov made it clear that the “0.001% involved in illicit activities” pose a disproportionate risk to the vast majority of law-abiding users on Telegram.
The Telegram co-founder also announced that the individual geolocation tracking would be ditched for a “businesses nearby” option. Durov likewise claimed that this personal geolocation feature was only used by a tiny minority of Telegram users.
Source: Pavel Durov
“This year we are committed to turning moderation on Telegram from an area of criticism into one of praise,” Durov concluded.
Related: Has Telegram violated EU laws, and why has its founder been charged in France?
Telegram faces allegations of allowing abusive child materials
French prosecutors have alleged that the Telegram founder and the platform were complicit in the spread of child pornography by not enforcing stricter content moderation policies. On Aug. 28, 2024, French authorities charged Durov with money laundering, criminal association, and providing “cryptology” services without a license.
French authorities issued arrest warrants for Pavel Durov and his brother, Nikolai, in March 2024. French law enforcement officials claimed that the Telegram founders refused to cooperate with an earlier investigation by failing to identify a specific Telegram user who was allegedly spreading child abuse materials.
According to French officials, the probe started after cybercrime investigators from the Paris prosecutor’s office uncovered an illicit Telegram chatroom attempting to lure underage girls into the room and exploit them.
Durov finally breaks his silence
On Sept. 5, Durov broke his silence for the first time since his arrest and took to his Telegram channel to clarify the events since his arrest.
Since that time, Telegram has signaled a shift in content moderation policies by changing the language surrounding the moderation of private chats in the Telegram Frequently Asked Questions section and trimming certain features.
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