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Telegram restricts access to channels managed by Hamas

October 26, 2023
10:37 PM

Messaging app Telegram has restricted access to several channels closely associated with or operated by Hamas as Israel’s war continues.

A large channel with more than 700,000 followers and known to be operated by Hamas’ military wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, is no longer accessible to Telegram users on the platform’s iOS and Google Play Store apps, the company has confirmed. CNN this Thursday (26).

Another account known to represent Hamas — which has more than 500,000 followers and recently posted videos of a group spokesperson as well as information about Israeli hostages Hamas has taken — has been restricted to users of Telegram’s iOS app, but still it was accessible in the app version on the Google Play Store this Thursday afternoon.

The restrictions mark a significant crackdown on a major source of pro-Hamas propaganda since the start of Israel’s war.

Other popular Telegram channels that expressed support for Hamas were also restricted, according to the investigation. CNN . It is unclear whether these channels may be directly linked to the group.

Users of the Android version of the app who searched for restricted groups received a warning saying: “Unfortunately, this channel cannot be displayed in Telegram apps downloaded from the Google Play Store,” confirmed the CNN .

Telegram’s iOS app labeled the restricted groups with a pop-up saying, “Unfortunately, this channel could not be displayed on your device.”

The Android restrictions were previously reported by CNBC and Russian state news agency TASS.

The restrictions come as Telegram has come under pressure in recent weeks for allowing Hamas – a radical Islamic group – to continue operating on the platform, although the group is banned on platforms owned by Meta and Google, as well as on X (formerly known as Twitter).

Hamas has seen its growth on Telegram since the October 7 terrorist attack on Israel, with some channels reaching hundreds of thousands of followers.

Extremist content that starts on Telegram can quickly make its way to other more mainstream platforms, disinformation experts said.

The Telegram account belonging to the al-Qassam Brigades last week had triple the number of followers on the app before being restricted. The account is among those that can no longer be accessed through Telegram apps downloaded from the Google Play or Apple App stores, the company confirmed. CNN.

Telegram, a Dubai-based company founded by a Russian-born businessman, allowed Hamas to continue using the app despite growing and questioning about the way social media platforms have handled the war, especially from authorities in Europe, where terrorist speech is largely illegal.

Asked whether Google pressured Telegram to take action on Hamas channels, a spokesperson for the tech giant said only that the company’s app store policies require developers to moderate content, including speech that glorifies terrorism, and that Google takes appropriate action when it finds violations of its policies.

“We don’t allow apps with terrorism-related content, such as content that promotes terrorist acts, incites violence, or celebrates terrorist attacks,” Google’s published policies say.

Google’s policies only affect apps downloaded through its own app store, which means that versions of Telegram that may be available on third-party Android app stores are not subject to the same restrictions.

An Apple spokesperson did not immediately respond to Apple’s questions. CNN about Telegram channels now blocked for iOS users. Telegram also did not immediately respond to a request for comment from CNN .

Due to its very flexible content moderation rules, Telegram has become popular among extremist groups internationally and among far-right groups in the United States, said Brian Fishman, co-founder of trust and security firm Cinder and former head of the Meta team. who fought terrorist organizations and other dangerous organizations.

The app’s popularity in the US began to grow after the January 6 attack on the Capitol, when prominent spreaders of election conspiracy theories began using the platform after being kicked off sites like Facebook and Twitter. Around 800 million people use Telegram around the world, says the founder.

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Source: CNN Brasil

Bruce

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