The Russian messenger Telegram has become a key weapon of pro-Kremlin accounts in spreading disinformation aimed at undermining Ukraine's support in the EU.
How Russia is using Telegram to spread hostile propaganda
As the publication notes, recently Russian intelligence officers used it to recruit petty criminals to carry out sabotage in European capitals.
This has angered European officials, who have made combating fake news their top priority ahead of continental elections in June. Despite all their new powers to regulate information on the Internet, they are virtually powerless to restrict Telegram.
Disinformation is spread in Telegram openly and completely without control, Estonian Prime Minister Kaya Kallas told Bloomberg.
A typical pro-Russian propaganda campaign relies on a flurry of online techniques. These include social media posts, articles in state media, fake news that mimics the appearance of legitimate websites, and anonymous comments on real ones.
Telegram functions as a central hub in this ecosystem, a bridge that advocacy groups use to distribute their content to active social communities and reach a wider audience.
Telegram is popular among various pro-Russian actors, as well as among individuals who have long been spreading disinformation, because content moderation is virtually non-existent, said Daniel Milo, former director of the Center for Countering Hybrid Threats at the Slovak Ministry of the Interior.
According to Kallas, if Telegram were deemed a "huge online platform" under the DSA, it would be required to take measures against the spread of misinformation and implement stricter content moderation protocols.
According to an internal EU assessment seen by Bloomberg, the main topics of Russia's disinformation efforts are the war against Ukraine, the conflict in the Middle East, immigration, climate change and the upcoming European Parliament elections.
On these five topics, the number of messages from unverified sources on all platforms more than doubled by the beginning of May, compared to less than 20,000 messages per day at the start of the year.
Why is it dangerous to use Telegram?
Telegram messenger does not protect users' data and even saves deleted messages. Online.ua journalists tried to find out whether the personal information of Ukrainians could get to the FSB.
In addition, Telegram has been repeatedly accused of spreading hate, pornography, and drug and contraband trafficking. Messenger is used with impunity by terrorist groups such as ISIS.
One example of a shameless leak of personal data by messenger to the FSB is the story of journalist Igor Bondarenko.
The man tried to leave the occupied part of Kherson, but he was caught.
