The scandal surrounding Telegram CEO Pavel Durov in recent weeks has led to a much deeper and more visible analysis of the platform, which has made it clear that Telegram is much more than just an instant messaging app.

Other deep webWe have the regular Internet, easily accessible with a browser or apps, but then there is the deep web, which often contains controversial and even dangerous content, such as forged documents, drugs or weapons sales. Accessing this is a bit more complicated, but Telegram has become one way to do it.

Terrorists, extremists and criminals on Telegram. A four-month investigation by The New York Times reveals how Telegram has become a “playground for criminals, extremists and terrorists.” It analyzed more than 3.2 million messages from 16,000 channels and found that Telegram provides such groups with options that allow them to “organize at a large scale and evade scrutiny from authorities.”

The channels on the platform include those used by Hamas to broadcast violent content. Telegram has reacted to some of this content in recent months and has imposed some blockings. Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and YouTube have all completely blocked accounts affiliated with Hamas and posts that are excessively supportive of the group.

Guns and drugs everywhereThe report found that there are 1,500 channels of far-right groups coordinating activities involving around a million people worldwide. There are at least two dozen channels selling weapons and another 22 channels selling drugs such as cocaine or heroin with around 70,000 followers.

And fake documents. Another investigation by The Wall Street Journal found that Telegram has also become a marketplace for fake identification documents, including passports or IDs that allow bank accounts to be opened in the victims’ names. When the WSJ asked Telegram about this activity, the channel was taken down.

Maximum freedom of expression. All this content has turned Telegram into a widely used resource for extremist groups, and the platform has been operating “as if it were above the law,” at least according to the NYT. “If it were up to us, we would give our users what they’ve always wanted: access to uncensored information and choices so they can make their own decisions,” Durov, 39, said on his Telegram channel.

Notable for its lack of moderationThe company is headquartered in Dubai (USA) and operates as a startup with 60 employees. It has hired 100 people to work as moderators, but in recent years has ignored requests from security agencies in various countries to help it investigate possible crimes.

But the CEO defends himself. Last week, Mr. Durov posted on his Telegram account for the first time since his arrest. He insisted that accusations that Telegram was “some kind of anarchic paradise” were false, and also noted that the company removes “millions of harmful posts and channels every day.” In a statement to the NYT, those responsible for Telegram said that “99.999% of its users are legitimate,” but acknowledged that “much work remains” and that they have made improvements to Telegram’s functionality and moderation.

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On Xataka | How safe is Telegram now that its CEO Pavel Durov has been arrested for suspicious reasons?