Telegram has reportedly tightened restrictions on accounts linked to the Palestinian militia Hamas. Recent observations indicate that accounts for Hamas in both Arabic and English, as well as for Hamas’ Al-Qassam Brigades, have become inaccessible for news reporting purposes. Users attempting to access these accounts from the United States receive a message stating, “This channel can’t be displayed because it violated local laws,” even when using virtual private networks to bypass the restrictions.
In recent years, Telegram has sought to address concerns from tech giants Apple and Google by limiting certain channels on apps downloaded from app stores, though it has not applied the same restrictions to users who downloaded the app directly from Telegram’s website.
The situation escalated after Telegram’s CEO, Pavel Durov, was arrested in France on a warrant related to allegations of insufficient moderation. In response, Durov announced that the platform would start providing internet protocol addresses and phone numbers of users facing legal actions.
Additionally, Telegram plans to employ moderators and artificial intelligence to identify and eliminate problematic content from its public search features, with Durov emphasizing the need to combat illegal activities rather than addressing specific geopolitical conflicts.
However, the restrictions on Hamas accounts effectively limit public access to the militia’s statements, potentially allowing Israel to exert greater control over the narrative surrounding its military actions.
Peoplesmind
