Topline
Telegram CEO Pavel Durov—dealing with felony fees attached to the platform’s moderation insurance policies—introduced the primary updates to the social media platform since his arrest closing month, together with the removing of options he stated are related to criminality, pledging to redesign the corporate’s closely criticized lax moderation.
The social media platform is “dedicated to show moderation on Telegram from a space of complaint … [+] into one in all reward,” its CEO stated.getty
Key Info
Durov used to be arrested in France closing month and charged with a number of crimes associated with person process on Telegram, which prosecutors stated did not reasonable “kid sexual abuse subject material, drug trafficking, fraud” and cash laundering, amongst different claims.
Telegram has disabled new media uploads to its running a blog device “Telegraph” and got rid of its “Other people Within reach” characteristic, Durov introduced.
A capability to add media to “Telegraph” seemed to “had been misused by means of nameless actors,” Durov stated.
The “Other people Within reach” characteristic—an inventory of alternative within reach customers and their proximity—used to be utilized by lower than 0.1% of all Telegram customers and had “problems with bots and scammers,” in step with Durov, who added the characteristic will probably be changed with “Companies Within reach,” which can checklist “official, verified companies.”
Durov stated the updates are a part of a bigger effort by means of Telegram to show an “space of complaint” of the platform’s moderation “into one in all reward.”
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An important Quote
“Whilst 99.999% of Telegram customers don’t have anything to do with crime, the 0.001% excited about illicit actions create a nasty symbol for all the platform, hanging the pursuits of our virtually billion customers in danger,” Durov wrote.
Sudden Truth
Telegram quietly up to date its FAQ web page on Thursday, indicating customers at the platform may file non-public messages. The web page in the past mentioned chats had been “non-public among their individuals” and Telegram may no longer “procedure any requests associated with them.”
Tangent
In his first public feedback since his arrest, Durov wrote on Telegram his arrest used to be a “erroneous manner” by means of legislation enforcement. Regardless of criticizing his arrest, Durov said “voices” announcing the platform’s moderation used to be insufficient, which he related to an “abrupt build up in person depend” that has “brought about rising pains that made it more straightforward for criminals to abuse our platform.”
Large Quantity
10 million. That’s what number of people are paying for a top rate subscription to Telegram as of Friday, in step with Durov. Telegram says the platform has greater than 950 million customers and claims to be one of the vital “best 5 maximum downloaded apps” international.
Key Background
French prosecutors reportedly introduced a probe into Telegram in July over claims the platform used to be enabling illegal activity, together with the distribution of kid pornography and drug gross sales. Durov, a Russian-born billionaire, based Telegram—a messaging platform very similar to WhatsApp—in 2013. In 2006, Durov based the social media platform Vkontakte, now referred to as Russia’s Fb. His arrest has drawn complaint from different social media platform executives, together with X’s Elon Musk and Rumble’s Chris Pavlovski, and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Forbes reported Durov may be beneath investigation for a separate felony grievance in Switzerland alleging he used to be bodily violent together with his son more than one instances, together with as soon as in Paris, main Parisian officers to release a attached probe.
Additional ReadingForbesWho Is Pavel Durov? Telegram CEO Charged With A couple of Crimes In FranceBy Molly BohannonForbesTelegram Quietly Updates FAQ Web page As Pavel Durov Says Fast Enlargement Made It More straightforward For ‘Criminals To Abuse Our Platform’By means of Siladitya RayForbesTelegram Billionaire, Who Used to be Arrested In France, Faces Unrelated Felony Criticism In SwitzerlandBy Phoebe Liu
