How Telegram Became a Magnet for Extremists and Crime: QuickTake

Messaging service Telegram is one of the most downloaded apps worldwide. Its private chat setting has made it a free space for open discussion in countries with authoritarian regimes. But a relatively light-touch approach to content moderation on Telegram is frustrating governments trying to stop criminal activities and the spread of misinformation that can destabilize societies.

In August 2024, French authorities arrested Telegram Chief Executive Officer Pavel Durov and charged him with complicity in the spread of sexual images of children and other crimes, after prosecutors said the company had failed to cooperate with their investigations.

Durov denied the charges ...