Durov initially refused to block Hamas channels

Founder of Telegram on October 13 Pavlo Durov opposed the closure of Hamas channels Against the background of the fact that various US and EU regulatory bodies have begun to submit requests containing requirements to regulate the spread of disinformation on major platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, X/Twitter and others. Companies had to explain one by one what they did to ensure information hygiene.

Durov wrote that Hamas uses Telegram to warn civilians that they must leave a certain area before rocket attacks. According to him, this is one of the reasons why these channels are kept open as a unique source of information that does not reinforce propaganda.

Unlike other apps that algorithmically deliver shocking content to unsuspecting people, Telegram users only receive content they have specifically subscribed to. Therefore, it seems unlikely that Telegram channels will be used to significantly increase propaganda. Instead, they serve as a unique source of first-hand information for researchers, journalists, and fact-checkers.
Durov writes.

The company’s president is confident that the blockade could “exacerbate the already dire situation” and “put more lives at risk.”

In the end the messenger had to surrender

According to CNBC, two channels, “hamas_com” and “al-Qassam brigades”, have been disabled for Android users, but the group’s other channels, such as “Gaza Now”, which has more than 1.6 million subscribers, are still available. At the same time, the messenger directly states that the reason for such a decision is the Play Store rules set by Google.

The Verge writes that a Google representative, who asked to be quoted anonymously due to the sensitivity of the issue, confirmed that the company was behind this blocking. He talks about Google’s policy of banning violent, terrorism-related content in apps published on the Play Store.

Telegram notification that the official Hamas channel is unavailable / Screenshot from The Jerusalem Post

The Hamas group, which attacks Israel, actively uses Telegram to distribute its materials. Jerusalem Post writes that 1,145 messages were published on its channels on the day of the attack, October 7, alone, and photos and videos, propaganda statements and news about the occupation process and its results were published. This increased the messenger’s popularity in the region, and “hundreds of thousands” of new users joined in the first few days to follow these channels, which are run by unidentified individuals who disregard the rules and principles of responsible journalism.