Telegram Crime Issues have led some to call the app“The Dark Web in Your Pocket” due to its association with illegal activities and troubling content.
About nine months ago, while I was researching a story, I ended up in a bunch of Telegram channels focused on selling illegal stuff. It all started with one channel about drugs, then hacking, and finally stolen credit cards. I noticed that my Telegram settings allowed anyone to add me to these channels without my approval. Curious to see what would happen, I kept the settings unchanged. Soon enough, I was added to 82 different groups!
I changed my settings to stop it, but now every time I log on, I get bombarded with thousands of messages from super active illegal groups. This mess got even more attention when Telegram’s billionaire CEO was arrested in France. People are now debating how well Telegram moderates its app.
Pavel Durov, Telegram’s CEO, is facing charges for supposedly letting illegal activities like drug trafficking, fraud, and child abuse spread on his platform. Even though other social networks have their issues with crime, this situation highlights a bigger problem that law enforcement has been worried about for a while.
Some of the groups I was added to are sketchy, and we’ve changed their names to keep them from getting more attention. This makes sense why some people, like cybersecurity podcaster Patrick Gray, call Telegram “the dark web in your pocket.” The dark web is a hidden part of the internet where illegal stuff happens, and since the Silk Road marketplace launched in 2011, many sites have popped up selling illegal goods and services.
Gray mentioned on his podcast Risky Business that Telegram has been a crime hotspot for a long time. He said, “We are talking about child sexual abuse material, drug sales, and dark web levels of criminality that they’re just doing nothing about.”
Criminals love the dark web because it hides their tracks, making it hard to figure out who they are. According to researchers at Intel471, before Telegram, these activities were mostly on hidden dark web services. Now, Telegram has become a go-to spot for lower-level cyber-criminals.
Groups like Qilin, who held NHS hospitals for ransom, used Telegram to share stolen data before putting it on the dark web. A deepfake service making fake nudes of schoolgirls also runs its operations on Telegram. Some criminal channels on Telegram are also on Snapchat and Instagram, where drug dealers might advertise their Telegram channels to find more customers.
In January, Latvia set up a unit to monitor chat apps for drug trafficking and mentioned Telegram as a major concern. Telegram claims its moderation is up to industry standards, but recent reports show otherwise, especially regarding child sexual abuse material.
The BBC found that while Telegram does respond to some takedown requests, it’s not doing enough to prevent the spread of child abuse images and videos. French prosecutors argue that Telegram is not cooperating enough in fighting crimes against children. Telegram told the BBC it actively searches for illegal activities and took action against 45,000 groups in August, but it didn’t provide details.
Another issue is Telegram’s response to police requests. Brian Fishman, co-founder of Cinder, said Telegram “has been the key hub for Isis for a decade” and “tolerates CSAM.” Telegram’s terms say they don’t process requests related to non-secret chats, so they could theoretically monitor all content if they wanted to.
Telegram’s approach has frustrated police officers, and French authorities have complained about Telegram’s lack of response to legal requests. Despite the criticism, some digital rights groups worry that arresting Telegram staff might lead to over-censorship and shrink civic spaces. Elon Musk has criticized the arrest, calling it an attack on free speech and urging for Durov’s release. Even some criminals on Telegram are sharing “FreeDurov” messages in English and Russian.
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