this post was submitted on 07 Sep 2024
47 points (81.3% liked)

World News

38978 readers
2941 users here now

A community for discussing events around the World

Rules:

Similarly, if you see posts along these lines, do not engage. Report them, block them, and live a happier life than they do. We see too many slapfights that boil down to "Mom! He's bugging me!" and "I'm not touching you!" Going forward, slapfights will result in removed comments and temp bans to cool off.

We ask that the users report any comment or post that violate the rules, to use critical thinking when reading, posting or commenting. Users that post off-topic spam, advocate violence, have multiple comments or posts removed, weaponize reports or violate the code of conduct will be banned.

All posts and comments will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. This means that some content that violates the rules may be allowed, while other content that does not violate the rules may be removed. The moderators retain the right to remove any content and ban users.


Lemmy World Partners

News !news@lemmy.world

Politics !politics@lemmy.world

World Politics !globalpolitics@lemmy.world


Recommendations

For Firefox users, there is media bias / propaganda / fact check plugin.

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/media-bias-fact-check/

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
 

Telegram has become a global sewer of criminal activity, disinformation, child sexual abuse material, terrorism and racist incitement, according to a four-month investigation by The New York Times that analyzed more than 3.2 million Telegram messages from over 16,000 channels. The company, which offers features that enable criminals, terrorists and grifters to organize at scale and to sidestep scrutiny from the authorities, has looked the other way as illegal and extremist activities have flourished openly on the app.

The degree to which Telegram has been inundated by such content has not been previously reported. The Times investigation found 1,500 channels operated by white supremacists who coordinate activities among almost one million people around the world. At least two dozen channels sold weapons. In at least 22 channels with more than 70,000 followers, MDMA, cocaine, heroin and other drugs were advertised for delivery to more than 20 countries.

Hamas, ISIS and other terror groups have thrived on Telegram, often amassing large audiences across dozens of channels.

MBFC
Archive

top 9 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] would_be_appreciated@lemmy.ml 29 points 2 months ago (1 children)

How Parking Garages Became a Playground for Criminals, Extremists and Terrorists

How Public Parks Became a Playground for Criminals, Extremists and Terrorists

How the Street Became a Playground for Criminals, Extremists and Terrorists

How Literal Playgrounds Became a Playground for Criminals, Extremists and Terrorists

Maybe if these things are happening everywhere, it's not the app that's the issue. This kind of talk opens us up to bans on Signal and similar apps, and that's just unacceptable. Address the core issues in society, don't try (and typically fail) to bandage it by taking away more and more of people's rights and freedoms.

[–] SnotFlickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone 13 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

The New York Times that analyzed more than 3.2 million Telegram messages from over 16,000 channels

They even admit that they did this research on public channels which never had encryption available to them on Telegram.

That's like going on a bunch of open Discord servers and doing the same kind of research and coming to the same conclusions, even though Discord doesn't even offer end-to-end encryption.

Arguably, Discord does more moderation of the types of groups in question, but at the same time, moderation is difficult, and acting like groups don't "fall through the cracks" of Discord's moderation is naive.

Telegram sucks, in my humble opinion, but I agree, this article seems more aimed at creating the narrative that only criminals use anything that has any encryption offerings, not that criminal activity happens anywhere and everywhere.

[–] absquatulate@lemmy.world 22 points 2 months ago (3 children)

This article reeks of propaganda. "We've done the analysis and trust us, only crooks use telegram! Look! there are DOZENS of terrorist chanels!"

I know telegram is shite, but isn't it strange that western governments seem to have it in for it lately?

[–] SnotFlickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone 10 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

I already thought Telegram was some kind of honeypot, but this US using it as a reverse-honeypot to villainize encryption in general is fucking wild when it doesn't even offer e2ee by default or in group chats.

[–] wurzelgummidge@lemmy.world 4 points 2 months ago

Telegram is the new TikTok. They don't like it because they can't control the conversations

[–] ikidd@lemmy.world 3 points 2 months ago

Manufacturing consent.

[–] Deceptichum@quokk.au 9 points 2 months ago

This coming from the same people who want to monitor everything I do or say.

[–] sin_free_for_00_days@sopuli.xyz 7 points 2 months ago

I just use Telegram with friends and family as an alternative to sms. I'll have to ask if any of them are selling drugs, because it would be handy to have a connection.