Since its launch in 2013, Telegram has grown from a simple messaging app to a broadcast network. Its user base isn’t as vast as WhatsApp’s, and its broadcast platform is a fraction the size of Twitter, but it’s nonetheless showing its use. While Telegram has been embroiled in controversy for much of its life, it has become a vital source of communication during the invasion of Ukraine. But, if all of this is new to you, let us explain, dear friends, what on Earth a Telegram is meant to be, and why you should, or should not, need to care. For example, WhatsApp restricted the number of times a user could forward something, and developed automated systems that detect and flag objectionable content. So, uh, whenever I hear about Telegram, it’s always in relation to something bad. What gives? But because group chats and the channel features are not end-to-end encrypted, Galperin said user privacy is potentially under threat. WhatsApp, a rival messaging platform, introduced some measures to counter disinformation when Covid-19 was first sweeping the world.
from nl
