The encrypted messaging app played a prominent role during the Russian invasion, to the point that it became a frequent route for its soldiers.
The arrest of Pavel Durov in France on August 24 generated uncertainties about the future of Telegram .
The CEO of the social network he founded with his brother Nikolai in 2013— He was arrested at Le Bourget airport in Paris after his private plane landed there.
The authorities accuse him of charges related to the dissemination of illegal material on the platform.
More specifically, as noted, It is alleged that he failed to take sufficient security measures in the application and failed to cooperate with law enforcement .
Since its creation, Telegram has positioned itself as A application pioneer in the field of encrypted messaging .
And that’s one of the reasons why he acquired a leading role in the invasion that Russia takes place in Ukraine since February 24, 2022.
Throughout the war, the Kremlin used the social network as one of your main channels for making announcements .
In the same way, Government supporters and dissidents have turned to the platform to share messages related to the conflict and its evolution.
Independent journalists, analysts and military fans also join the list, in addition to soldiers detailing the scene on the front of battle.
Such factors have contributed to Telegram presenting itself today as a dominant piece of war history .
This is what some suggest polls .
The Russian Independent Investigative Institute, Levada Center ensures that At the beginning of the invasion, 38% of Russian citizens used Telegram .
Now, currently, one in two uses the app either to receive information or to communicate with other users.
However, after Durov’s arrest, some doubts have arisen on the role that Telegram will have.
It is worth recalling that although the Kremlin initially tried to restrict the social network – in fact, between 2018 and 2020, efforts were made to keep it banned in the country – it then It has become one of their favorite means of propaganda. .
How Telegram influenced the history of the war in Ukraine
After the Russian government took measures such as banning Facebook, Instagram and independent opposition media, many citizens They started using the app to watch news about the war. .
According to a survey by the Levada Center, Every fourth Russian reads public Telegram chat rooms every day through which they can access a vision of the conflict different from that proposed by the Kremlin.
five years ago, the figure was only 1% .
Part of the growing interest in Telegram is also due to the fact that messages are encrypted They therefore promise greater security and confidentiality to users.
This factor is particularly attractive in a war context where opponents face repression and there is a struggle of opposing versions of what is happening in the fight.
Those who are often against war They use the social network to report the consequences of the offensive launched by President Vladimir Putin.
On the other hand, those in favor of invasion usually use it as a means of spreading propaganda related to the Kremlin’s discourse .
They also appeared accounts that have accumulated millions of followers over the course of the conflict to share opinions and/or information about this situation.
Furthermore, according to the New York Times volunteers were seen They use it to raise money for the soldiers and to help evacuate civilians. who are in higher risk areas.
In Ukraine it also tends to be used for receive air raid alerts because many consider it a faster way than government demand.
One of the most relevant points regarding the use of Telegram in this war is that Soldiers at the front use it to show how the fighting is going. and field trips.
The latter led to the spread some recordings of a very violent nature and explicit.
Along with this, Russian troops turn to social media to communicate with each other .
One of the most notable cases regarding the use of Telegram to distribute content is that of Eugene Prigozhin founder of Wagner Group died in August 2023.
The leader of the mercenary organization used the platform to announce his brief uprising against Russian authorities and upload recordings of the progress of his troops towards Moscow.
This has been seen in Russia and abroad. because although Telegram is particularly popular in this country, Ukraine and the states of the former Soviet Union, it also has many users around the world.
Since the application, they reported in early 2024 that They have more than 900 million users worldwide. .
After the confirmation of Durov’s arrest in France, some analysts consulted by the aforementioned American media outlets claimed that Complications could arise in the company’s fundraising .
Similarly, others have suggested that Your privacy policies may change as law enforcement seeks access to the database. of private discussions.
Indeed, part of the accusations against Durov focus on failing to provide information or take sufficient steps to prevent drug trafficking, fraud and sexual content involving children according to the rescue BBC .
Therefore, it is expected that what happens with the investigation will also have affects the role of Telegram as a space for war history .
As reported by the Kremlin-friendly social network Baza, The country’s security officials have already been ordered to remove the app from their cell phones.
Source: Latercera
I am Robert Harris and I specialize in news media. My experience has been focused on sports journalism, particularly within the Rugby sector. I have written for various news websites in the past and currently work as an author for Athletistic, covering all things related to Rugby news.
