Telegram Making Changes to Combat Criminal Abuse

Now, Durov appears to have changed his tone.

“Telegram’s abrupt increase in user count to 950M caused growing pains that made it easier for criminals to abuse our platform,” he wrote in the statement shared today. “That’s why I made it my personal goal to ensure we significantly improve things in this regard. We’ve already started that process internally, and I will share more details on our progress with you very soon.”

Some of those changes appear to be already taking effect: the company’s FAQ page has changed in the last 24 hours. Take one section titled, “There’s illegal content on Telegram. How do I take it down?”

As of September 5th, Telegram’s response to the question read in part, “All Telegram chats and group chats are private amongst their participants. We do not process any requests related to them,” according to a Wayback Machine archive of the page.

But at the time of this writing, that sentence has been removed. Instead, has been replaced with: “All Telegram apps have ‘Report’ buttons that let you flag illegal content for our moderators — in just a few taps,” followed by instructions on how to report content.

Telegram Taking Action Against Criminal Misuse

In response to the challenges posed by criminals abusing the Telegram platform, Pavel Durov, the company’s founder, has expressed a change in approach.

Acknowledging the issues that arose due to the rapid growth in user numbers, Durov stated, “That’s why I made it my personal goal to ensure we significantly improve things in this regard. We’ve already started that process internally, and I will share more details on our progress with you very soon.”

Changes in Telegram’s Policies

As part of these efforts, Telegram has already begun implementing changes, starting with revisions to its FAQ page.

Previously, the FAQ section addressing illegal content on Telegram stated that the platform does not process any requests related to private chats and group chats.

Revised Approach to Combat Illegal Content

However, a recent update to the FAQ page indicates a shift in Telegram’s strategy.

Users are now encouraged to use the ‘Report’ buttons available on all Telegram apps to flag illegal content for moderation.

Increased Accountability for Content Monitoring

This new approach demonstrates Telegram’s commitment to addressing the issue of criminal misuse and increasing accountability for content monitoring on its platform.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How do I report illegal content on Telegram?

A: You can use the ‘Report’ buttons available on all Telegram apps to flag illegal content for moderation.

Q: Has Telegram updated its policies regarding illegal content?

A: Yes, Telegram has revised its approach to combatting illegal content by empowering users to flag such content for moderation through the platform’s ‘Report’ feature.

Overall, these changes indicate a proactive stance by Telegram to address the challenges posed by criminal abuse of its platform and enhance user safety.

Credit: www.theverge.com