Telegram founder Pavel Durov announced on Thursday that the messaging app has taken decisive action against users involved in propagating calls for terrorist activities and will implement technological measures to curb such behavior in the future.
According to Durov, Russian-speaking Telegram users were inundated with anonymous messages this week, urging them to engage in terrorist acts. Telegram’s administrators swiftly responded to these reports, taking action within an hour of receiving the initial complaints on Sunday.
Durov stated, “As a result, tens of thousands of attempts to send such messages were stopped, and thousands of users participating in this flash mob faced permanent bans on their Telegram accounts.”
In a bid to further enhance user safety, starting next week, users in Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine will have the option to restrict who can send them private messages. Additionally, Telegram plans to deploy AI-based mechanisms to expedite the processing of complaints related to such activities.
The increased scrutiny on Telegram comes in the wake of a terrorist attack last Friday at the Crocus City concert hall near Moscow, which claimed 143 lives, including three children. President Vladimir Putin described the perpetrators as “radicalized Islamists” who were intercepted while attempting to flee to the Ukrainian border.
Law enforcement sources cited by Russian media allege that the suspects in the massacre were approached by organizers through a now-deleted Telegram group purportedly linked to the Afghanistan-based splinter organization Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS).
Telegram, known for its popularity among Russia’s youth and its status as the leading messaging app in Ukraine, was founded by Russian entrepreneurs Pavel and Nikolay Durov in 2013. Its distinctive features include the ability to create public broadcast channels and discussion groups.
While some view Telegram as a platform for spreading information, others express concerns about its potential misuse. Kirill Budanov, Ukraine’s top spy, stated that while Telegram allows Kiev to disseminate its message in Russia, it may also have a detrimental impact within Ukraine. Ukrainian officials have called for its ban, citing concerns that Telegram facilitates citizens bypassing government censorship, particularly after President Vladimir Zelensky’s move to consolidate media under state control during martial law.
The Kremlin has urged Durov to address the misuse of Telegram, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov highlighting the platform’s increasing use by terrorists. However, there are currently no plans to ban the messenger app in Russia, according to Peskov.
