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Social platforms like X (formerly Twitter), Meta and TikTok are facing off with regulators and the theater of public opinion over how they are handling inflammatory and graphic content, disinformation, writing and other media related to Hamas and Israel, CEO Pavel Durov says Telegram has controversially come out to defend how its messaging app No Removing some of the more sensitive war-related coverage that could be found there, claiming that it could prove to be an important channel for information.
He also described it as different from social media, as users only see content to which they are subscribed. (Yes, this does not take into account how content posted on Telegram is shared.)
In his Telegram post today, Durov — borrowing some of the more “high-level” language that other social media executives have used — said that “Telegram’s moderators and AI tools remove millions of clearly harmful remove the content,” but he also moved quickly to defend the app by continuing to allow sensitive content under the category of “war-related coverage.”
“Dealing with war-related coverage is rarely that obvious.” (He does not define what the line is between “clearly harmful” and “war-related coverage”.)
He added, “While it would be easy for us to destroy this source of information, doing so risks escalating an already serious situation.” , “Will shutting down his channel help save lives – or put more lives at risk?” he asked in his post today.
Durov’s comments come at a time when Telegram is certainly in the middle of a change in how information is reaching the rest of the world, but it is not limited to Telegram channels. In the initial hours and days of the deadly terrorist attacks, Hamas and its affiliates posted numerous graphic and highly unedited videos of their acts on Telegram, and the app soon became a much-cited reference point by mainstream media and many individuals. Posting and sharing news on other social channels, sometimes linking directly to Telegram posts, or capturing and re-sharing content in them. Telegram’s role in that information dissemination itself has come under attack.
A cynical perception could be that Telegram is taking advantage of the situation by getting more traffic. Durov said two days after the attack, that “hundreds of thousands” of new users were signing up for the app from Israel and the Palestinian territories, noting that Telegram was adding support for Hebrew to its UI.
“All those affected must have reliable access to news and private communications during this critical time,” he said at the time.
Durov’s words and actions shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise: They’re consistent with the company’s previous approach toward sensitive content.
Part of Durov’s defense of Telegram has always been to differentiate between it and other social media apps.
“Unlike other apps, which algorithmically promote shocking content to strangers, users on Telegram only receive content they have specifically subscribed to,” he wrote. “As such, it is unlikely that Telegram channels can be used to significantly increase publicity. Instead, they serve as a unique source of first-hand information for researchers, journalists, and fact-checkers.
The app has previously taken a lighter stance when it comes to how its app is used by violent individuals or groups, generating a lot of controversy in the process. For example, it has become a favorite place for communications during the war in Ukraine, but it has also become a hub for misinformation, as detailed in this piece from The Verge. Resistance groups in Myanmar may be using it, but it is also being used by militants supporting the current regime, who are using it to target individuals, as this CNN investigation shows. And its controversial place as a platform for recognized terrorist groups was well known. (Hamas is recognized as a terrorist organization by many countries, including the US, Britain and Israel.)
