On Friday, at least 143 people were killed in an attack on a concert hall in Moscow. According to the Russian state-controlled news agency RIA, the attackers were recruited in a Telegram channel belonging to ISIS-K, an Islamic State group affiliate, which emerged in late 2014 as a breakaway faction of the Pakistani Taliban.
Up to 49 million people — 40 percent of Russia’s internet users — used Telegram in 2023, which makes it the country’s most popular platform.
Critics accuse Telegram of tolerating the spread of conspiracy theories and hate speech, which often find a home — and proliferate — on the app.
The platform’s founder Durov addressed the criticism in a blog post in October 2017, arguing that Telegram defends freedom of speech.
“Criticizing local authorities, challenging the status quo and engaging in political debate are OK,” Durov wrote. “Meanwhile, promoting violence and calling for actions that can harm innocent people are not OK. This is a rule of thumb we’re always applying when moderating public channels.”
In a recent interview with the Financial Times, Durov said when asked about Putin and the Kremlin’s war on Ukraine: “Let’s not go there,” adding that it is “very important for the world to retain Telegram as a neutral platform.”