For Oleksandra Tsekhanovska, head of the Hybrid Warfare Analytical Group at the Kyiv-based Ukraine Crisis Media Center, the effects are both near- and far-reaching. Telegram, which does little policing of its content, has also became a hub for Russian propaganda and misinformation. Many pro-Kremlin channels have become popular, alongside accounts of journalists and other independent observers. Such instructions could actually endanger people — citizens receive air strike warnings via smartphone alerts. For example, WhatsApp restricted the number of times a user could forward something, and developed automated systems that detect and flag objectionable content. Despite Telegram's origins, its approach to users' security has privacy advocates worried.
from cn