Protesting Executive Punishment Theory, Improving Service
Pavel Durov, CEO of Telegram, who is facing criminal charges for allegedly aiding illegal activities such as the sexual abuse of minors on Telegram, has revealed plans to improve platform censorship and remove problematic features.
On the 6th (local time), Durov announced on X (formerly Twitter) that Telegram will remove the 'People Nearby' feature. This feature, which allows users to check if other Telegram users are nearby, has been criticized for being not particularly useful and having a high risk of being exploited for criminal purposes.
Durov stated, "Less than 0.1% of Telegram users used this feature, which had issues with bots and scams. Instead, we will offer a 'Businesses Nearby' feature that only shows legitimate and verified businesses."
He also revealed that the media upload function of Telegraph, Telegram's anonymous blogging service, has been misused by 'anonymous actors' and will be disabled.
"99.999% of Telegram users are not involved in crime, but the 0.001% involved in illegal activities are damaging the platform's overall image and putting the interests of nearly one billion users at risk," he said. "This is why we promised to transform content moderation on Telegram this year from a subject of criticism to something to be praised."
Durov was arrested by French police on the 24th of last month on charges of conspiracy related to possession and distribution of child sexual exploitation material, drug trafficking, and organized crime, but was released on bail after paying 5 million euros (approximately 7.4 billion KRW).
Just before this announcement, Durov claimed on his Telegram channel that the suspicion that Telegram is a 'lawless zone' is completely untrue, while acknowledging public criticism regarding lack of oversight and expressing his intention to improve management of criminal activities.
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