Pavel Durov Announces Telegram is Updating
On Friday, September 6, Pavel Durov, Telegram CEO and founder, announced that Telegram is updating and rolling out a range of features to combat illegal content, following Durov’s arrest by French authorities over alleged Telegram security issues and violations related to the messaging platform.
After his arrest, Durov broke his silence, stating that the accusations against the platform are “misguided” and “surprising.”
“While 99.999% of Telegram users have nothing to do with crime, the 0.001% involved inhasicit activities create a bad image for the entire platform, putting the interests of our almost billion users at risk,” Durov said on his channel, addressing concerns around how Telegram security have been amplified by this situation, prompting further scrutiny.
According to DemandSage, there are 950 million Telegram users, with 53.25% between the ages of 24 and 44 years old. This statistic suggests that Telegram is much more than just a messaging application.
Truth Behind Telegram
In an interview with Tucker Carlson, Durov revealed his true self, an educated leader with a vision who does not take no for an answer. A man who is for all and all for one, all in the name of freedom and freedom of speech.
Durov highlighted that users are becoming more aware of what to expect from platforms amid the ongoing global conflicts and wars. As Telegram is updating its features and capabilities, it faces pressure from two of the biggest global tech powerhouses, Apple and Google, which hold significant power by controlling users’ smartphones. If Telegram fails to comply with their guidelines, then the messaging platform risks being removed from their app stores.
However, Apple and Google’s rules, though seemingly basic, often hold much stronger and more stringent political motivations when enforced. To remain accessible to its users, Telegram has adopted new moderation practices, forming part of its broader Telegram crackdown efforts on illegal activities.
Telegram has long been viewed as a champion of free speech, often resisting any interference from the EU and other governments. This became clear during global wars when Telegram became an active platform and channel for open communication. However, a wave of telegram criticism kept on surfacing, particularly its moderation policies, and how it balances between protecting free speech and addressing harmful content.
When asked by Tucker Carlson on the political motivation of the enforced governmental rules on social media platforms, Durov said that he does agree with “some of them. But it’s not the rules, it’s the application of the rules.”
“The rules themselves, they are pretty general. There must be no violence, discrimination, publicly available child abuse material, it’s hard to disagree with that. But then, when they start to apply those rules, sometimes we do not agree with their interpretation and we try to get back to Apple and Google, and whoever it is, and say ‘Look we think you got it wrong. We think actually this is legitimate way of people expressing their opinions. And, sometimes they do agree to their credit,” Durov added.
Platform of Freedom
The difference between Meta and Telegram may not be immediately obvious, but beneath the surface, the two companies diverge in nature, principles, and values.
Meta has allowed governments to influence its platform’s guidelines and, in some cases, compromise user privacy.
The worthiest example is the Israeli war on Palestine, which began on October 8th. Meta has been accused of labeling information supporting Palestinians or raising awareness of the war as “misinformation,” driving the world to question the social networking company’s motives, raising concerns over censorship and bias.
Meta has permitted the Israeli government to use various tools to target the privacy of Palestinians trying to escape to a safe zone, such as Lavendar AI, which is deployed through WhatsApp to spy on Palestinian civilians. In contrast, Telegram new features aim to protect user privacy while ensuring compliance with international laws, maintaining an independent and objective stance, pushing free speech while resisting governmental pressures.
As Telegram continues updating itself, the Telegram content moderation has become an important point for the platform’s future. The balance between allowing free speech and regulating content is delicate, and Telegram moderation is critical in maintaining this equilibrium while avoiding the pitfalls of overreach or censorship.
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