Telegram cracks down on ‘terrorist’ spam — RT World News

Telegram has cracked down on users involved in spreading calls for terrorist acts, and will put in place technological hurdles to curb such activity in the future, the messaging app's founder, Pavel Durov, wrote on Thursday.

Durov said Russian-speaking users of the Telegram app were bombarded with anonymous messages this week, in which strangers tried to convince them to commit terrorist acts. App administrators allegedly took steps to deal with the matter within an hour after receiving the first complaints on Sunday.

“As a result, tens of thousands of attempts to send such messages were stopped, and thousands of users participating in this flashmob faced a permanent ban on their Telegram accounts.” said the Dubai-based businessman.

Durov added that starting next week, Russian, Belarusian and Ukrainian users will be able to decide who can send them private messages. Moreover, Telegram is planning to roll out “related to artificial intelligence” Mechanisms to address complaints faster.

Telegram is not a place for spam and incitement to violence.

Telegram has come under increased scrutiny following last Friday's brutal terrorist attack at the Crocus City concert hall outside Moscow that claimed the lives of 143 people, including three children. The four suspects, described by President Vladimir Putin as “Islamic extremists” They were intercepted while trying to flee to the Ukrainian border.

The organizers allegedly contacted the suspected perpetrators of the massacre through a now-deleted Telegram group, which operated on behalf of the Afghanistan-based splinter group Islamic State (ISIS, formerly ISIS), according to law enforcement sources cited by Russia. Media.

Telegram is the most popular information source among Russian youth, and also the number one messaging app in Ukraine. It was created as an instant messaging platform by Russian entrepreneurs Pavel and Nikolai Durov in 2013. What distinguishes it from similar applications is the ability to create public broadcast channels and discussion groups.

Top Ukrainian spy Kirill Budanov claimed on Wednesday that the Telegram application represents a double-edged sword, allowing Kiev… “Spread her message” In Russia, but it may have 'devastating effect' Inside Ukraine. Officials in Kiev have repeatedly called for its ban, lamenting the fact that Telegram has enabled citizens to bypass government censorship, after Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky used martial law to unite all media outlets under the state umbrella.

Meanwhile, the Kremlin urged Durov to do so “pay more attention” To the misuse of his platform, as his spokesman Dmitry Peskov pointed out on Thursday “This unique and technologically impressive service… is increasingly becoming a tool in the hands of terrorists.” However, when asked if the messenger might face a ban in Russia, he replied that there were no plans to do so.