Telegram’s CEO, Pavel Durov, has announced plans to enhance moderation on the messaging app and remove features that have been misused for illegal activities. Durov made these changes following his recent arrest by French authorities.
In a post on X, he stated that the goal is to shift Telegram’s moderation from criticism to praise. The changes include replacing the “People Nearby” feature with “Nearby Businesses” and disabling media uploads to Telegraph, the app’s blogging tool.
Furthermore, Durov shared that Telegram has removed references to private chats being protected and that moderation requests for those chats will not be processed. He emphasized that despite these changes, no alterations have been made to the app’s source code.
Durov acknowledged that a minority of Telegram’s 1 billion users have engaged in criminal activities, and these actions have negatively impacted the platform’s reputation. He also mentioned that Telegram now has 10 million paid subscribers.
Following his arrest, Durov addressed the situation on his Telegram channel and criticized the allegations that the app fosters anarchy. He highlighted the surprising nature of the French investigation and noted that authorities had access to communication channels with Telegram’s representatives.
Despite being released on bail, Durov faces challenges from Moscow officials who claim that France is pressuring him to disclose the app’s encryption keys to Western intelligence agencies. Russian diplomats offered assistance to Durov, but he declined their support.
The arrest has strained relations between Russia and France, with President Putin calling the actions against Durov “selective” and expressing limited contact with the Telegram founder over the years.
Source: www.theguardian.com
