Telegram Blocks 'Terror-Related Channels' After Indonesia Threatens Total Ban

Telegram - burnt

Telegram is an encrypted messaging service, popular for those that want to pronounce free speech while preserving anonymity. As good as it can be, Indonesia isn't liking it.

Indonesia, a nation consisting thousands of archipelago said it has partially blocked access to 11 addresses offering the web version of Telegram, due to its "terrorism” content, the government said. it was also preparing for the total closure of Telegram in Indonesia.

Samuel Pangerapan, the director general of informatics applications at the ministry, said the app is used to recruit Indonesians into armed groups and to spread hate and methods for carrying out attacks including bomb making.

The ultimatum on July 14th had a condition: if Telegram figured out a way to moderate contents then it would stay unblocked.

In order to fix the situation, Telegram is doing the following steps for its users in Indonesia:

  • Blocking all reported channels by the Ministry of Communication and IT on Indonesia.
  • Founder Pavel Durov and the ministry is having a direct channel of communication to allow them to work more efficiently in identifying and blocking terrorist groups and propaganda.
  • A dedicated team of moderators with knowledge of the Indonesian language and culture is assembled to report terrorist-related content more quickly and accurately.
Durov - Telegram - Indonesia

Telegram is a free messaging service created by Russian Pavel Durov and his brother Nikolai. On behalf of the company Durov announced the creation of the team on his official Telegram channel which has over 42,000 subscribers.

In his announcement, Durov explained that officials at the Ministry of Communication and IT in Indonesia had emailed Telegram a list of public channels with terrorism-related content in Telegram but he wasn't aware of them. As a result, the list wasn't processed quickly enough.

Durov realized of the request when he heard the country would block the app.

"Telegram is heavily encrypted and privacy-oriented, but we're no friends of terrorists," he on his Telegram channel, adding he was "upset" over Indonesia's ban.

The Indonesian government got its cue from suspected attackers that were arrested by Indonesian police. They told the authorities that they communicated with each other through Telegram and received orders and directions to carry out assaults through the app, including from Bahrun Naim, an Indonesian with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, known as ISIS) group.

Indonesia, home to the world's largest Muslim population, has stepped up to corporate with its neighboring countries to stem a growing presence of ISIS in Southeast Asia. And Indonesia's measures against Telegram came as the nations are stepping up their efforts to detract people from joining armed groups following the capture of the southern Philippine city of Marawi by ISIS-linked fighters.

Telegram is a free messaging service that can be used on computers as well as smartphones using its app. Its popularity is due to its strong encryption, rising its fame among those that concerned about privacy and secure communication in the modern digital era.

But as a result, it also attracted armed groups and other criminal minds as users.

Durov said Telegram blocks thousands of ISIS and extremists-related channels every month and is "always open to ideas on how to get better at this".

While the order was for a good cause, the Indonesian government's move has led to a public outcry in the country. Many users have commented negatively on Twitter and Facebook when they were unable to access the web version of Telegram, and later after they heard about the news.

Indonesians are among the world's biggest users of social media. And Telegram itself has millions of users in Indonesia.

Published: 
16/07/2017