Throughout the world, vaccination campaigns continue. This is also the case in Germany, where 72% of the population is vaccinated. However, a minority of far-right people oppose the various restrictions to fight against the pandemic. These groups use the Telegram messaging service in order to violate German law. As a result, the government is considering banning access to the app.
Telegram as an alternative to other social networks
“Telegram may need to be banned if it continues to be popular with far-right groups and those opposed to pandemic restrictions continue to violate German law. We can’t rule that out.”, German Interior Minister Nancy Feaser told the weekly Die Zeit. According to the assessment conducted by the German security authorities, the encrypted messaging service is particularly used by the far right and conspiracy theorists.
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These groups have entrenched themselves on Telegram, as it is an alternative to other social networks, the service being one of the easiest ways to use an encrypted chat service. Some users have been banned or blocked from YouTube, Twitter, Facebook or even Instagram, because of the extremist content they could post. In December, the Facebook accounts of an anti-vaccine movement were taken down following coordinated harassment.
Even though this application can be used by human rights defenders, journalists and oppressed from authoritarian or warring countries, it is also widespread among terrorists or criminals to hide their activities.
Thanks to Telegram, it is possible to easily create groups in order to converse. Screenshot: Telegram.
How can Germany succeed in regulating or blocking Telegram?
Nancy Faeser clarified that Germany is “a rule of law, but we also cannot exclude the possibility of prohibiting access to Telegram. Turning it off would be very serious and is clearly the last resort. All other options must have been unsuccessful beforehand.” Even if the minister mentioned this idea and announced its possible execution, no technical or legal details allowing its implementation have been specified.
Discussions have also been initiated with other European countries to try to regulate this messaging tool. “Today Telegram is in Dubai, tomorrow maybe in the Cayman Islands. We will need a lot of force to enforce the law. As a German nation-state, we cannot do this alone” added Nancy Faeser.
Another more drastic way would be to convince Apple and Google to no longer offer the application for download on their platforms. However, it is possible to download Telegram bypassing the Google Play Store or the Apple Store.