There has been a migration of far-right extremists from Telegram to new platforms like SimpleX. SimpleX recently secured over $1 million in funding with the support of former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, now known as X.
The shift away from Telegram began when the app’s CEO, Pavel Durov, announced a crackdown on illegal content and collaboration with law enforcement. Durov was recently arrested in France on charges related to child sexual abuse material and criminal activity facilitated by Telegram.
Some far-right extremists uncomfortable with Telegram’s policies have switched to SimpleX, a secure messaging app that emphasizes privacy and encryption.
SimpleX does not require user authentication or identity verification, which is appealing to many users seeking increased privacy. The app claims to enhance privacy by not tracking user data on its servers.
Security analyst Stephen Lai from the Institute for Strategic Dialogue noted that extremists find SimpleX appealing due to its encryption features and lack of user identification requirements.
SimpleX has gained popularity among far-right extremists due to its privacy features and end-to-end encryption. Some users appreciate the app’s avoidance of email or phone number registration and storage of chats on servers.
SimpleX received funding from Jack Dorsey and a venture capital firm, and it has garnered over 100,000 downloads on Android. The app is seen as a promising alternative to established secure messaging platforms like Signal.
The founders of the Russia-based neo-Nazi organization Base have promoted their group on SimpleX, signaling a shift of such extremist organizations to new platforms.
Observers like Joshua Fisher Birch have warned about far-right extremists migrating to SimpleX, describing it as a significant change for these communities.
National security officials are monitoring the movement of extremist groups to new platforms like SimpleX, recognizing the challenge of tracking and countering their online activities.
SimpleX’s focus on privacy and anonymity has attracted various extremists seeking to avoid detection and surveillance in their online communications.
Source: www.theguardian.com
