He said that since his platform does not have the capacity to check all channels, it may restrict some in Russia and Ukraine "for the duration of the conflict," but then reversed course hours later after many users complained that Telegram was an important source of information. "Someone posing as a Ukrainian citizen just joins the chat and starts spreading misinformation, or gathers data, like the location of shelters," Tsekhanovska said, noting how false messages have urged Ukrainians to turn off their phones at a specific time of night, citing cybersafety. Telegram Messenger Blocks Navalny Bot During Russian Election In 2018, Russia banned Telegram although it reversed the prohibition two years later. "He has kind of an old-school cyber-libertarian world view where technology is there to set you free," Maréchal said.
from ru
