Background and Investigation Overview

In recent years, the popularity of Telegram as an encrypted communication platform has gradually increased. However, an in-depth four-month investigation by The New York Times revealed that Telegram has become a hotbed for global criminal activities and extremism. The investigation covered more than 16,000 Telegram channels and analyzed more than 3.2 million messages. The results showed that from false information and drug trafficking to incitement to terrorism and racism, Telegram not only failed to effectively regulate the content of its platform, but also became an important carrier of criminal and extremist activities.

How Telegram breeds crime

Telegram was originally popular among users around the world, especially citizens of some authoritarian countries, with its selling points of protecting user privacy and freedom from government surveillance. However, the investigation pointed out that its privacy protection and anonymity features are also the main means for criminals and extremist organizations to evade regulation. Telegram's "channels" and "supergroups" features allow criminals to easily organize communities of hundreds of thousands of people across borders to share violence, racism and extremist ideas with each other. These criminal activities are usually unregulated and difficult to track, making Telegram a bridge between the dark web and the open market.

Strongholds and rampant activities of extremist organizations

The investigation found that white supremacists around the world are active on Telegram, and they have operated as many as 1,500 channels, gathering nearly 1 million members. In these groups, extreme remarks are frequently posted, and racist incitement and violent propaganda are widely spread. In addition, at least 24 public channels sell guns and other weapons, and several groups with tens of thousands of users have placed drug advertisements in more than 20 countries, involving marijuana, ecstasy, cocaine and even heroin.

In terms of terrorism, Telegram has become a gathering place for organizations such as Hamas and ISIS. Data from the New York Times showed that the number of views of related channels soared several times after the outbreak of violence, with more than 400 million views in October alone. Telegram's anonymity and privacy features provide these extremists with a safe place to communicate, allowing them to spread terrorist information and propaganda without official crackdowns.

The root cause of weak supervision: from founders to internal structure

Pavel Durov, the Russian founder of Telegram, has long maintained a position of not cooperating with law enforcement agencies because of his obsession with privacy and freedom. The company is located in Dubai, with a small headquarters and only 60 full-time employees and a small number of contractors responsible for content review. Compared with social platforms such as Facebook and YouTube, Telegram's review resources can be said to be insignificant. Former employees of the company revealed that although Telegram has set up emails for government agencies to contact, no one usually checks them. Even after the outbreak of extreme events, Telegram's cooperation with law enforcement agencies is extremely limited, which has made regulators in regions such as the United States and the European Union increasingly dissatisfied with it.

From criminal markets to hotbeds of extreme speech

Telegram combines the anonymity of the dark web with the convenience of online markets. Users can find sales channels for illegal items such as guns, drugs, and forged documents with a simple search. In these channels, sellers not only provide detailed photos and videos of products, but also promote successful transactions in the form of "customer feedback" and provide discount information. Such illegal activities on Telegram have become a complete underground trading market.

In addition to the sale of goods, Telegram's groups and channels have also become a tool for the spread of false information, extremism and racial hatred. In a channel called "White Lives Matter," white supremacists and neo-Nazis manage multiple regional branch organizations in a "hub-and-spoke" format. These small branches mainly rely on offline actions and recruitment, and gradually form a transnational extremist communication network.

Terrorist live broadcasts and information warfare on the platform

On October 7 this year, Hamas's attack on Israel was instantly spread on Telegram. Terrorists posted a massacre video through Telegram, which reached millions of views within a few hours. Extremists took advantage of Telegram's high spreadability to quickly distribute violent videos to other social platforms, further expanding the impact of terror. Although platforms such as Facebook and TikTok immediately blocked the relevant content, Telegram did not take corresponding measures and only restricted some content. The delayed response of the platform allows extremists to influence a wider audience in a short period of time.

White nationalists and strongholds of violent incitement

Telegram is not only active with terrorists, but has also become one of the important platforms for white nationalist organizations. In a channel managed by white supremacists, white nationalist organizations around the world can communicate and plan activities. The anonymity and huge group size provided by the platform enable these organizations to carry out a series of violent and racist acts against ethnic minorities on Telegram, and attract more and more extremists to join.

Pressure from Apple and Google: The last line of defense for regulation?

Currently, the regulatory pressure faced by Telegram mainly comes from the two major technology giants Apple and Google, rather than legal measures directly imposed by the government. Apple and Google have repeatedly notified Telegram to delete the illegal or harmful content that has been marked. According to people familiar with the matter, despite repeatedly opposing these requests, Telegram still succumbs to the demands of the technology giants in most cases to avoid being forced to be removed from the shelves. However, Telegram founder Durov publicly expressed dissatisfaction with this pressure, saying that it restricts freedom of speech.

Future Outlook: The Need for Increased Regulation

As extremist organizations and criminal activities gain increasing influence on Telegram, more and more countries and technology companies are beginning to re-examine Telegram's positioning and operating methods. At the balance point between global security and freedom of speech, Telegram's future development still faces challenges.