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Telegram now censoring channels in Germany for “violating local laws”

netzpolitik.org

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Re: Telegram now censoring channels in Germany for “violating local laws”

#12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I never used Telegram. How do channels work? Does Telegram has that kind of visibility into what is happening in them?

Telegram has, as far as I know, no revenue model at all so they most likely are mining the heck out of the users and what they post.

Telegram has ads as of a few months ago, because Durov can't personally fund it anymore at its current size.

https://promote.telegram.org/

Re: Telegram now censoring channels in Germany for “violating local laws”

#13

The article is written in German, but with a Google Translate you can understand the just of it. Apparently Telegram added a new blocking system based on phone numbers, sorta a geo-blocking thing, and people with German phone numbers registered on their Telegram accounts aren't able to access those blocked channels. Also, unlike the previous block this one applies even to the users who are using the app downloaded di…

Probably makes sense. I'm not super familiar with Telegram, but to know a channel is doing stuff that's against German law probably means that someone with access to the channel reported it to authorities. Germany is also one of those countries that blanket bans particular groups/parties in general, which the US didn't really do until after 9/11. Banning a group chat isn't much different.

> Probably makes sense. I'm not super familiar with Telegram, but to know a channel is doing stuff that's against German law probably means that someone with access to the channel reported it to authorities.

Avocadolf's channels are public, you could access them on the Telegram web UI even without an account. The German government has tried to get the channel shut down for months now, after Hildmann fled the country and engaged in Holocaust denial (which is a crime here).

The problem is that unlike all other major social networks, Telegram refuses to comply with German laws (in particular the NetzDG) and has refused to name a contact person for the authorities so that egregious violations could be stopped. I read an article that claimed the only form of contact between German authorities and Telegram used to be a bilateral anti-terror coordination with the US FBI, which makes sense given the common problem of radical Islamist terrorism.

Re: Telegram now censoring channels in Germany for “violating local laws”

#15
post #9

Avoid censorship with this one weird trick: Print the information in a book, and put it in a library, or even on a school curriculum, if you can. If anyone tries to remove the book, then we are back to the dark ages of book banning or even burning. You know who else burned books, right? On the other hand, if the book is prevented from being published or stocked in the first place, if school or public libraries simply…

[deleted]

Re: Telegram now censoring channels in Germany for “violating local laws”

#17
This is what happens when you have a centralized software.

Germany can just get the app removed from app stores:

https://voi.id/en/technology/114013/senior-german-official-a...

And this is true of other centralized software:

https://meduza.io/en/feature/2021/09/18/the-freest-platform-...

Re: Telegram now censoring channels in Germany for “violating local laws”

#18
post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Telegram has, as far as I know, no revenue model at all so they most likely are mining the heck out of the users and what they post.

Telegram has ads as of a few months ago, because Durov can't personally fund it anymore at its current size. https://promote.telegram.org/

I haven't seen a single ad at all for some reason in the multiple groups I am in.

Re: Telegram now censoring channels in Germany for “violating local laws”

#19
post #9

Avoid censorship with this one weird trick: Print the information in a book, and put it in a library, or even on a school curriculum, if you can. If anyone tries to remove the book, then we are back to the dark ages of book banning or even burning. You know who else burned books, right? On the other hand, if the book is prevented from being published or stocked in the first place, if school or public libraries simply…

Germany bans things like Holocaust denial and certain things about far right political parties. It’s not the American way but I’m quite ok with Germany doing this.

Re: Telegram now censoring channels in Germany for “violating local laws”

#20
Brazil supreme court is toying with the idea of banning Telegram before this years presidential election, as they were ignored by the Telegram team.

I wonder if Telegram will adopt the same thing they did in Germany here in Brazil to prevent the ban...

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