The founder of Telegram, Pavel Durov, has announced measures to improve moderation on the platform and remove features that have been used for illegal activities. These changes come after accusations from French authorities that Telegram has contributed to criminal activity.
In his statement on Friday, Durov noted that one of the key objectives is to transform moderation on Telegram from something criticized to an example to be followed. Among the changes announced are the removal of the “people nearby” function, often used by scammers and bots, which will be replaced by the “Business Near” function showing only legal companies. Furthermore, the download of media files in Telegraph blogs has been disabled to prevent abuse by anonymous users.
Additionally, Telegram has updated its frequently asked questions (FAQ) page, removing the mention that personal chats are protected from moderation. Despite no changes in the application’s source code, users can now report suspicious chats to moderators.
Durov stressed that the vast majority of Telegram’s nearly billion users are not involved in criminal activities. However, a small number of violators tarnish the platform’s reputation.
It has also been revealed that the number of paid Telegram subscribers has reached 10 million.
Earlier in August, Durov was detained in France in connection with crimes such as the distribution of images depicting sexual violence against children, drug trafficking, and fraud. Despite this, Durov defended his platform, stating that millions of malicious posts and channels are removed daily.
To avoid detention, Durov paid a security deposit of 5 million euros. As per the agreement, he must visit the police station twice a week and remain in France until the trial concludes.
The situation surrounding Telegram and its founder remains tense amidst the serious accusations and the subsequent changes in the platform’s moderation policy.