For millions of people, Telegram is like any other social media or messaging app.
In Brazil, 167,000 people subscribe to a Telegram channel for news about reality shows and entertainment.
More than one million users in India prepare for government exams in another channel.
And in one called Whale with more than three million followers, crypto trading tips are swapped in Arabic.
Look deeper, and a dark underbelly emerges.
Uncut lumps of cocaine and shards of crystal meth are for sale on the app. Handguns and stolen checks are widely available.
White nationalists use the platform to coordinate fight clubs and plan rallies.
Hamas broadcast its Oct. 7 attack on Israel on the site.
How Telegram Became a Playground for Criminals, Extremists and Terrorists
Telegram has become a global sewer of criminal activity, disinformation, child sexual abuse material, terrorism and racist incitement, according to a four-month investigation by The New York Times that analyzed more than 3.2 million Telegram messages from over 16,000 channels. The company, which offers features that enable criminals, terrorists and grifters to organize at scale and to sidestep scrutiny from the authorities, has looked the other way as illegal and extremist activities have flourished openly on the app.
The degree to which Telegram has been inundated by such content has not been previously reported. The Times investigation found 1,500 channels operated by white supremacists who coordinate activities among almost one million people around the world. At least two dozen channels sold weapons. In at least 22 channels with more than 70,000 followers, MDMA, cocaine, heroin and other drugs were advertised for delivery to more than 20 countries.
Hamas, ISIS and other terror groups have thrived on Telegram, often amassing large audiences across dozens of channels. The Times analyzed more than 40 channels associated with Hamas, which showed that average viewership surged up to 10 times after the Oct. 7 attacks, garnering more than 400 million views in October.
Telegram is “the most popular place for ill-intentioned, violent actors to congregate,” said Rebecca Weiner, the deputy commissioner for intelligence and counterterrorism at the New York Police Department. “If you’re a bad guy, that’s where you will land.”
Operating like a stateless organization, Telegram has long behaved as if it were above the law — though that may be changing. Pavel Durov, the Russian-born founder of the platform, was arrested and charged in France last month for failure to cooperate with law enforcement and complicity in crimes committed on the service, including the distribution of child sexual abuse material, drug trafficking and fraud.
In many democratic countries, patience with the app is wearing thin. The European Union is exploring new oversight of Telegram under the Digital Services Act, a law that forces large online platforms to police their services more aggressively, two people familiar with the plans said.
Were it entirely up to us, we would always give our users what they ask for: access to uncensored information and opinions so that they can make their own decisions.
April 24
How to order:
1. Place Order
2. Payment and confirmation
3. Delivery details
4. Tracking
5. Monitor your package
6. Package arrivals
Delivery via royal Mail ✅
That’s how I work.
No cash on delivery.
If you are not comfortable working that way feel free to try elsewhere..
Stick to this. Unnecessary question will not be authorized
July 4
Earlier this week, Hamas used Telegram to warn civilians in Ashkelon to leave the area ahead of their missile strikes. Would shutting down their channel help save lives — or would it endanger more lives?
It’s always tempting to act on emotional impulses. But such complex situations require thorough consideration that should also take into account the differences between social platforms.
Oct. 13
Ultras Pogoń Lębork
“Poland will be white or deserted”
Aug. 30
Today, White Lives Matter Michigan activists held a demonstration and banner drop in Brighton, Michigan.
More footage will be released soon!
