Is Telegram an Extremist Hub or a Bastion of Free Speech?
Summary from the AllSides News Team
The CEO of the messaging app Telegram, Pavel Durov, was arrested in Paris on Saturday.
The Charge: Telegram takes a light approach to moderation, leading to the accusation that Durov has allowed illegal activity like money laundering, terrorism, and drug trade to take place on Telegram. Telegram was one of the social media platforms used to coordinate the recent riots in the UK.
Cause For Concern: It can be difficult to track those who send inflammatory content in private chat rooms or via direct messages. "Law enforcement agencies have more leverage to persuade Facebook and WhatsApp owner Meta Platforms Inc. to help them identify users engaged in illegal activities as it’s a publicly listed company headquartered in the US. They’ve proven to be largely powerless when it comes to Telegram, which is based in Dubai," said Eleanor Thornber and Jeff Stone in Bloomberg (Lean Left).
What About Free Speech?: Some argue that Telegram is one of the last platforms on which one can have a conversation online without governments combing through personal correspondences. "Mr. Musk and Mr. Durov have put their freedom at risk to ensure free speech is an option for the rest of us. Without speech, the rest of our freedoms — including freedom of assembly and freedom of religion — will be lost," the Washington Times Editorial Board (Lean Right) argued.
Featured Coverage of this Story
From the Right
Jailing of Telegram founder Pavel Durov is an attack on our freedomsFrench authorities on Saturday arrested Pavel Durov for the crime of facilitating free speech. The exiled Russian programmer could spend the next two decades locked up — the very fate he fled his country of birth to avoid.
Mr. Durov is the creator of Telegram, a messaging platform relied upon by nearly a billion users worldwide. It is one of a handful of services that feature reliable encryption that makes it difficult for the prying eyes of the world’s intelligence services to peruse casual conversations.
The charge leveled against the billionaire tech guru is...
From the Left
Why Telegram’s Extremism Worries Governments So MuchWhether it’s spreading conspiracy theories or organizing riots, messaging app Telegram has become a focus of extremist activity online. The service, started in 2013, is one of the most downloaded apps worldwide. Its private chat setting has made Telegram a free space for open discussion in countries with authoritarian regimes. But a relatively light-touch approach to content moderation means it’s now a prime target for governments trying to stop criminal activities and the spread of misinformation that can destabilize societies. On Aug. 24, French authorities arrested Chief Executive Officer Pavel Durov over an alleged...
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