Durov Addresses Criticism of Telegram’s Content Moderation By Reuters

By Mark Trevelyan and Martin Coulter

LONDON – Pavel Durov, the CEO of Telegram, announced on Friday that the messaging platform will address criticism regarding its content moderation practices and eliminate features that have been exploited for illegal activities.

This declaration comes as Durov faces a formal investigation in France related to the use of Telegram for offenses like fraud, money laundering, and the distribution of child sexual abuse images. He made this announcement to his 12.2 million subscribers on the app.

Durov noted that while 99.999% of Telegram users are law-abiding, the 0.001% involved in illegal activities tarnish the platform’s reputation and jeopardize the safety of its nearly billion users. He stated, "This year we are committed to transforming moderation on Telegram from an area of criticism into one of praise."

Although Durov did not provide extensive details on how these changes would be implemented, he mentioned that the platform has already disabled new media uploads to a blogging feature that has been misused by anonymous individuals. Additionally, the company has removed the little-used "People Nearby" feature, which was problematic due to bots and scammers, and will instead focus on highlighting verified local businesses.

These announcements mark Durov’s first major actions following his arrest in France last month, where he was interrogated for four days before being formally investigated and released on bail. The case has sparked discussions in the tech community about the boundaries of free speech online, the regulation of social media platforms, and the accountability of their owners for users’ criminal behavior.

Durov’s legal counsel has criticized the investigation, arguing that it is unreasonable to hold him responsible for crimes committed by others using the app. Katie Harbath, a former public policy director at a major tech company, stated that Durov’s acknowledgment of the importance of content moderation is a positive step; however, she cautioned that he might be underestimating the complexity of the task ahead.

Telegram has also modified its Frequently Asked Questions section, removing the statement about not processing illegal content reports in private chats due to their protected status. Durov did not address this change in his latest message, in which he also mentioned that Telegram has reached 10 million paid subscribers.

In a previous post, Durov acknowledged that while Telegram is not flawless, claims suggesting it operates as an anarchic platform are false, asserting that the company takes down millions of harmful posts and channels daily.

He expressed surprise regarding the French investigation, suggesting that authorities could have contacted Telegram’s EU representative or himself directly to voice any concerns. Durov argued that the standard practice for a country dissatisfied with an internet service is to initiate legal action against that service.