Telegram, a well-known messaging app, said it blocked 15.4 million groups and channels in 2024 to stop harmful content. This includes things like scams, terrorism, and child abuse. The app shared this information on a new page they created to be more open about how they handle content.
This announcement comes after Telegram’s founder, Pavel Durov, was arrested in France. He is being accused of not doing enough to stop harmful content, with critics accusing Telegram of becoming a hub for terrorist activities and illicit trades.
Telegram says it has been successful in dealing with harmful content because of its advanced AI tools that help quickly find and remove content that breaks its rules. The platform now blocks tens of thousands of groups and channels every day, which leads to the removal of millions of pieces of content that don’t follow its rules.
In 2024 alone, Telegram reported:
- – 705,688 groups and channels connected to child sexual abuse material (CSAM) were blocked.
- – They started daily reports about removing CSAM to be more open and responsible.
- – They expanded a database of CSAM information with help from groups like the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) to improve automatic checks on public images.
Telegram announced that it had blocked 129,986 groups linked to terrorism in 2024. These efforts align with the platform’s firm stance against calls to violence and terrorist propaganda.
Since 2022, Telegram has worked with groups like ETIDAL, the Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology, to improve its fight against terrorism. Thanks to this collaboration, Telegram’s moderators have taken down more than 100 million pieces of terrorist-related content.
