As of: March 28, 2024, 1:08 p.m
By: Kilian Beck
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Dmitri Peskov warns the founder of Telegram. The Kremlin expects “more attention” in the fight against terrorist content on the platform.
Moscow – After the terrorist attack in Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov issued a blatant warning against the operators of the messaging service Telegram: It is a “phenomenal resource” that is increasingly becoming a “tool in the hands of terrorists”. The Kremlin therefore expects Telegram founder Pavel Durow to devote “more attention” to this problem in the future. This was reported by the Russian state news agency
TASS
.
Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned the head of the messenger service Telegram. © IMAGO/Sergei Karpukhin
Russia doesn't want to shut down Telegram - Vladimir Putin's propaganda is also running on the service
There are currently “no plans” to block Telegram in Russia. Peskov's PR department itself communicates through the service. After the attack, Kremlin PR distributed press releases every half hour about condolence phone calls between Russian President Vladimir Putin and other heads of state. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and former Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev also operate channels on the platform. Since Russia's renewed attack on Ukraine, the latter has mainly used Telegram to make wild threats against Western states.
On March 22, Russia was rocked by a terrorist attack on the Crocus City Hall concert hall in Moscow. Dozens of people were killed by several assassins. Shortly after the attack, the Afghan branch of the so-called Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility for the attack. Russia has been the target of Islamist attacks several times in the past, mostly by groups from the Caucasus. Experts believe IS's claim to the attack is plausible. The Islamists also distributed their confession video via Telegram.
Telegram: Extremism retreat based in Dubai – Is the Kremlin taking tougher action than the West?
It is questionable to what extent Peskov's warning towards Telegram founder Durow will be effective. Since the Corona pandemic, the app has also been considered a digital retreat for all kinds of extremists in the West. The content there is hardly moderated and hate messages and fake news that would be deleted by other social networks are particularly easy to spread there. Durow himself has been living in exile since 2014. Telegram says it is based in the Gulf Emirate of Dubai.
The German state has been trying to enforce laws against hate crime and depictions of abuse on the platform for years. A threat of a fine from Justice Minister Marco Buschmann (FDP) fizzled out in 2023. According to
WDR
research, Telegram only cooperates with authorities in “high-profile cases”, such as when it comes to depictions of child abuse or Islamist terrorism. However, it can be assumed that Russian secret services have other options for enforcing a warning from the Kremlin that are categorically excluded in a constitutional state.
(kb)