Enlarge image
Federal Minister of the Interior Faeser (at the handover in December): Shutting down »would be a sensitive evil for every provider«
Photo: Christian Mang / REUTERS
Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser has brought further measures against the chat app Telegram, which is popular with lateral thinkers and extremists. In an interview with “Zeit”, the SPD politician threatens to block the service if he continues to refuse to comply with German laws. "To say, in the end, we switch off the service - that would be a sensitive evil for any provider," says Faeser. However, such a block in Germany would be difficult and "clearly the ultima ratio". Before that, all other options must have been unsuccessful.
In December, Faeser spoke in SPIEGEL about how she wanted to do more against extremists on Telegram.
Among other things, she suggested increasing the pressure on Google and Apple so that they enforce their app store rules against Telegram.
She also wanted to increase the police's pressure to investigate extremists on Telegram.
Via the app, users can commit crimes largely unhindered by the operators.
Death threats against politicians, researchers and activists are also published there on a regular basis.
As early as the summer, a SPIEGEL research showed how the operators around the Russian billionaire Pawel Durow are evading the access of the authorities.
"Today Telegram is in Dubai, tomorrow maybe in the Cayman Islands", so they are striving for a European solution to force Telegram to cooperate, Faeser said in an interview with "Zeit".
She is still in talks with her European counterparts.
"As a German nation-state, we cannot do it alone."
Blocking access to Telegram in this country should, however, be technically difficult.
The service's servers are located in different locations around the world.
When the Russian authorities blocked Telegram in 2018, the app operators evaded with technically sophisticated measures.
The app was continuously available for Russian users, and in the end the Kremlin was embarrassed.
Apart from that, such a ban would also be highly controversial from a legal point of view.
Because it would not only affect the offenders and extremists, but also the large number of users who use Telegram for chats with family or friends.
Beyond all criminal content, Telegram is one of the most popular messengers in Germany behind the market leader WhatsApp.
hpp