WhatsApp, a rival messaging platform, introduced some measures to counter disinformation when Covid-19 was first sweeping the world. Andrey, a Russian entrepreneur living in Brazil who, fearing retaliation, asked that NPR not use his last name, said Telegram has become one of the few places Russians can access independent news about the war. Sebi said data, emails and other documents are being retrieved from the seized devices and detailed investigation is in progress. Although some channels have been removed, the curation process is considered opaque and insufficient by analysts. False news often spreads via public groups, or chats, with potentially fatal effects.
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