64 Telegram Channels Blocked in Germany. The messaging service Telegram has blocked 64 channels in Germany. The platform became the top medium for spreading lies and misinformation about the Covid-19 epidemic in the country. The service also gained popularity among the far-right as a reliable means of evading the authorities.
Reuters quoted a local newspaper as saying that Germany’s “Federal Criminal Police Office” had made a formal request to telegram authorities to shut down the channels.
In Germany, the Telegram has been accused of allowing anti-Covid vaccine conspiracy theorists to lie freely. Conspiracy theorists have called for protests through the Telegram app at various times, and several such incidents have escalated into violence.
Reuters reports that the blocked channels include the telegram channel of celebrity chef Attila Hildmann. The chef had more than one lakh followers on the messaging service. The news agency said he was using the Telegram channel to spread conspiracy theories about the COVID vaccine.
According to the German Interior Ministry, in the second week of February, constructive talks were held with the telegram authorities. However, Reuters did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Interior Ministry. Telegram also did not agree to open its mouth in this regard.
In recent years, the telegram app has gained popularity among rights activists and people with retrospective thinking. In particular, the most widely used platforms, such as Facebook, have stepped up their efforts to curb the spread of false and misleading information in the face of government pressure, and telegrams have found an opportunity to emerge as an alternative.
The German interior minister said in a statement issued in January that Telegram may be banned in Germany and the government is in talks with top EU officials to bring the messaging platform under control.
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