Telegram CEO Defends Hamas’ Channels
The founder and CEO of Telegram, Pavel Durov, has addressed the criticism surrounding the platform’s decision to allow Hamas, the Palestinian organization, to post war-related content on its channels. Despite widespread backlash, Durov argues that shutting down Hamas’ communication channel would only worsen the situation.
Hamas’ Violent Content on Telegram
Reports have revealed that Hamas has published over 125 videos documenting their attacks on Israel through their official channel on Telegram. This has led to concerns from mainstream media sources and activists who believe that such content could incite violence.
Criticism Directed at Telegram
Yasmin Green, CEO of Jigsaw, a Google-owned organization, expressed her fear that this content could encourage further violent acts by Hamas. Rolling Stones also criticized Telegram for allowing unverified information to be leaked to other platforms like Twitter, which they describe as a disinformation duet.
Telegram’s Approach
While other platforms like Twitter are actively removing war-related posts and facing investigations from the European Union (EU), Telegram has taken a different stance. Durov defends their decision to allow Hamas’ channels to operate.
Durov’s Defense
Durov acknowledges that while millions of harmful content are removed by moderators, tackling war-related content is more challenging. He questions whether shutting down Hamas’ channel would truly save lives or put more at risk.
“Earlier this week, Hamas used Telegram to warn civilians in Ashkelon to leave the area ahead of their missile strikes. Would shutting down their channel help save lives — or would it endanger more lives?”
Durov emphasizes that unlike other platforms, Telegram users only receive content they have subscribed to. He believes that the content on their platform serves as valuable information for journalists, fact-checkers, and researchers.
Hot Take: Telegram’s Dilemma
Pavel Durov, CEO of Telegram, has defended the platform’s decision to allow Hamas’ communication channel to remain active despite criticism. While concerns have been raised about the violent war-related content being shared on Telegram, Durov argues that shutting down this channel could make an already dire situation even worse. He highlights the importance of considering the potential impact on lives and believes that the content on Telegram also serves as valuable information for journalists and researchers. As the debate continues, Telegram faces the challenge of balancing freedom of expression with responsible content moderation.
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