Category: Instant Messaging

How Telegram Became a Playground for Criminals, Extremists and Terrorists

Drug dealers, scammers and white nationalists openly conduct business and spread toxic speech on the platform, according to a Times analysis of more than 3.2 million Telegram messages.
Telegram Founder Pavel Durov Defends App in First Comments Since Arrest

Pavel Durov, held in France since last month, blamed “growing pains” for the company’s problems and pledged to make improvements.
Telegram Founder Pavel Durov’s Indictment Thrusts Encryption Into the Spotlight

The criminal charges against Pavel Durov, Telegram’s founder, raised concerns in Silicon Valley about encryption and the app’s approach to privacy and security.
Telegram CEO Pavel Durov Charged With Wide Range of Crimes in France

Pavel Durov was arrested near Paris over the weekend as part of a broad investigation into criminal activity on the platform.
The Crypto Industry Loudly Defends Telegram’s Pavel Durov

When the messaging app’s founder, Pavel Durov, was arrested, he received a flood of support from a multitrillion-dollar industry that relies on it.
Pakistan’s Internet Disruptions Stoke Fears of Government Surveillance

Disruptions have fueled claims from rights groups that the Pakistani authorities are introducing technology to surveil and control the country’s internet.
Meta in Talks to Use Voices of Judi Dench, Awkwafina and Others for A.I.

If deals are struck, Meta may incorporate the actors’ voices into a digital assistant product called MetaAI, people with knowledge of the effort said.
Japan and South Korea Are Fighting Over an App at a Tense Time

SoftBank and Naver helped bridge geopolitical relations with a joint venture to own the operator of the messaging app Line, but now the partnership is fraying.
Apple Says It Was Ordered to Pull WhatsApp From China App Store

Apple said it removed WhatsApp and Threads in its China app offerings Friday on Beijing’s orders, amid technological tensions between the U.S. and China.
Meta, in Its Biggest A.I. Push, Places Smart Assistants Across Its Apps

Users of Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp and Messenger will be able to turn to the new technology, powered by Meta’s latest artificial intelligence model, to obtain information and complete tasks.
India’s TikTok Ban: What Lessons Does It Hold for the U.S.

The United States is agonizing over the possibility of a ban, but India did it at a stroke. Indians adjusted quickly, and Instagram and YouTube built big audiences.
Russia Strengthens Its Internet Controls in Critical Year for Putin

Facing an election this weekend and the fallout from Aleksei Navalny’s death and the war in Ukraine, Russia has intensified online censorship using techniques pioneered by China.