A Decade of Telegram
Freedom of Expression and Security Concerns
Deutsche Fassung
Abstract
Telegram cultivates the image of a free, uncensored medium. In authoritarian states, this makes the platform attractive for those who fear state censorship or repression. Yet, for individual users, Telegram itself has significant security gaps that authorities can use to persecute opponents. Telegram has developed into a hybrid medium that enables private communication in encrypted chats and reaches an audience of millions beyond the established mass media in public channels. The operators’ principle of not intervening in a moderating manner creates a Janus-faced Telegram. On the one hand, it serves critical groups as an organisational platform and mouthpiece, and, on the other, the promise of anonymity attracts shady characters who abuse the platform’s freedom. The Ukrainian authorities are not the only ones alarmed by the platform’s influence on national security.
(Osteuropa 1-3/2025, pp. 443–451)