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The Rise of Illicit Activities on Telegram: A Haven for Criminals and Extremists
Explore how Telegram has become a breeding ground for illicit activities, enabling criminals and extremists to operate freely. This article delves into the challenges posed by this unregulated platform and its implications for security and society.
How Telegram Became a Playground for Criminals, Extremists, and Terrorists
Telegram has increasingly surfaced as a global hub for a wide range of illicit activities, including criminal enterprises, the spread of disinformation, child sexual exploitation, terrorism, and racist propaganda. This alarming trend has been highlighted by a comprehensive four-month investigation conducted by The New York Times, which scrutinized over 3.2 million messages spanning more than 16,000 channels on the platform. The findings reveal that Telegram’s features facilitate the organization of criminal and extremist groups, allowing them to operate with relative impunity while evading law enforcement scrutiny.
The scale of illegal content on Telegram is staggering and has not been fully acknowledged until now. The investigation uncovered approximately 1,500 channels run by white supremacists, coordinating activities among nearly one million individuals worldwide. Additionally, at least two dozen channels are involved in the sale of firearms. The research also identified over 22 channels, boasting a combined following of more than 70,000 users, that actively promoted the delivery of narcotics such as MDMA, cocaine, and heroin to over 20 countries.
Furthermore, notorious terrorist organizations like Hamas and ISIS have found a fertile ground on Telegram, often amassing significant audiences across multiple channels. Notably, the analysis of more than 40 channels linked to Hamas revealed a dramatic rise in viewership—up to tenfold—following the attacks on October 7, with these channels collectively garnering over 400 million views in that month.
Rebecca Weiner, the deputy commissioner for intelligence and counterterrorism at the New York Police Department, emphasized the platform’s troubling role, stating, “Telegram is the most popular place for ill-intentioned, violent actors to congregate. If you’re a bad guy, that’s where you will land.”
Operating with a sense of detachment from regulatory frameworks, Telegram has long acted as though it is beyond the reach of the law. However, this might be changing. Pavel Durov, the Russian-born founder of Telegram, faced legal troubles in France last month, where he was arrested and charged for his failure to cooperate with law enforcement regarding crimes facilitated on the platform, including the dissemination of child sexual abuse material, drug trafficking, and various fraud schemes.
In democratic nations, tolerance for Telegram’s operations is diminishing. The European Union is currently contemplating new measures to oversee Telegram under the Digital Services Act, a legislation designed to compel large online platforms to enforce stricter policing of their services. According to sources familiar with these plans, the EU’s growing scrutiny reflects the urgent need to address the rampant illegal activities proliferating on the platform.