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Germany doesn't rule out closing Telegram – interior minister

reuters.com

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Re: Germany doesn't rule out closing Telegram – interior minister

#31

Post by sascha_sl »

akho wrote: post #16
uniqueuid wrote: post #5

This will be interesting. Some background for the discussion: - Germany has a different take on freedom of speech from the US. There are things that you cannot say (holocaust denial, inciting racial violence). We can argue about this, but it's deeply ingrained in the legal system and unrealistic to change - Germany has a special law regulating responsibilities and content moderation in social media (NetzDG, think sec…

> the German government saying: Look here, you got a bunch of criminals and terrorists (literally, with weapons) on your platform, you need to do something about it. This sounds like a police matter, and should be a question that is asked to, not by, the government. Not that any government understands that…

Unfortunately, it turns out that it is not too rare that these people doing something in between prepping and planned terrorism are police or military.

Re: Germany doesn't rule out closing Telegram – interior minister

#32

Post by iqanq »

YXNjaGVyZWdlbgo wrote: post #23
odiroot wrote: post #9

The collective panic and Luddism about Telegram in Germany is really scary. I watch Tagesschau (probably most respected news show) every evening. Any time Telegram is mentioned it's always being attacked, as if it's only purpose was to enable crime and terrorism.

say what you want there are stickers all over Hamburg asking you to join telegram channels if you need drugs, if you are racist or a so called "querdenker". It may not be the main use of telegram but if you are a member of the public only seeing these kind of stickers everywhere would make me worry as well.

I don't see the issue. People (should) have a right to meet other people with similar interests and organise.

Re: Germany doesn't rule out closing Telegram – interior minister

#33

Post by Schlaefer »

tut-urut-utut wrote: post #14
odiroot wrote: post #9

The collective panic and Luddism about Telegram in Germany is really scary. I watch Tagesschau (probably most respected news show) every evening. Any time Telegram is mentioned it's always being attacked, as if it's only purpose was to enable crime and terrorism.

At she same time, Telegram gets praised in German media when it comes to allowing supporting pro western activist and opposition in Belarus, Russia, Hong-Kong and other “enemy” states. It's hilarious to watch both praising and bashing Telegram in the same evening news, and how no journalist seems to care.

The news shows the extraordinary. It also reports car accidents and car shows, but not all the millions of people driving everyday.

Re: Germany doesn't rule out closing Telegram – interior minister

#34

Post by omnicognate »

iqanq wrote: post #12

On an unrelated note - Telegram is already heavily censored on iPhones because of app store policies and the team refuses to put out an uncensored IPA file that we can sideload to our phones. If someone from the team reads this (I doubt it, since they are very disconnected from western media) please consider it. You already do it for Android!

Wouldn't they be kicked off the app store for that?

Re: Germany doesn't rule out closing Telegram – interior minister

#35

Post by sveme »

uniqueuid wrote: post #5

This will be interesting. Some background for the discussion: - Germany has a different take on freedom of speech from the US. There are things that you cannot say (holocaust denial, inciting racial violence). We can argue about this, but it's deeply ingrained in the legal system and unrealistic to change - Germany has a special law regulating responsibilities and content moderation in social media (NetzDG, think sec…

Thank you for providing a balanced argument containing facts and further descriptions, in the best spirit of HN. Sadly, it will not keep this thread from becoming dominated by single liners and cheap shots. For evidence, see below.

It all boils down to the question of whether Telegram is a public forum or a messenger service.

Re: Germany doesn't rule out closing Telegram – interior minister

#36

Post by wongarsu »

progx wrote: post #21

Quoted post unavailable.

You mean people who organize protests without permit (because they don't like the mandates for masks and minimum separation that would come with the permit), and when confronted with police claim they are just a couple hundred people who happen to be on a walk at the same time by pure coincidence.

Re: Germany doesn't rule out closing Telegram – interior minister

#37

Post by YXNjaGVyZWdlbgo »

kybernetyk wrote: post #6

yeah, that's going to work. just like outlawing porn sites that wouldn't use a german age verification system ;)

iPhone users have no sideloading capabilities and for androids you need to be at least a bit tech savvy. speaking only for mobile access if telegram gets dropped from the app stores it would shrink the user base.

Re: Germany doesn't rule out closing Telegram – interior minister

#39

Post by lima »

iqanq wrote: post #32
YXNjaGVyZWdlbgo wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

say what you want there are stickers all over Hamburg asking you to join telegram channels if you need drugs, if you are racist or a so called "querdenker". It may not be the main use of telegram but if you are a member of the public only seeing these kind of stickers everywhere would make me worry as well.

I don't see the issue. People (should) have a right to meet other people with similar interests and organise.

Yes, but there's limits - like similar interests in extremism, calls to violence, assassination plots...
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