In the past, it was noticed that through bulk SMSes, investors were induced to invest in or purchase the stocks of certain listed companies. Such instructions could actually endanger people — citizens receive air strike warnings via smartphone alerts. The channel appears to be part of the broader information war that has developed following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The Kremlin has paid Russian TikTok influencers to push propaganda, according to a Vice News investigation, while ProPublica found that fake Russian fact check videos had been viewed over a million times on Telegram. He adds: "Telegram has become my primary news source." Telegram was founded in 2013 by two Russian brothers, Nikolai and Pavel Durov.
from hk
