Grace Ashiru
Telegram’s recent update to its policy now allows users to report private chats directly to platform moderators, potentially indicating a crackdown on groups in Nigeria and across Africa that engage in illegal activities, such as sharing stolen content.
This update, which was quietly rolled out following the arrest of Telegram’s founder, Pavel Durov, may result in the dissolution of illicit Nigerian groups notorious for disseminating non-consensual explicit images and pirated materials.
Reports from Nigeria have highlighted a rising underground market on Telegram, where various groups facilitate the exchange of stolen nude images and other illegal content.
Investigations by the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) have uncovered a troubling trend of individuals sharing nude images of women across multiple Telegram groups without obtaining consent.
Despite several Nigerian laws that criminalize such actions, including the Cybercrime Act and constitutional protections for privacy, the messaging app, known for its minimal oversight of user interactions, has become a stronghold for this exploitative content.
With nearly 1 billion monthly active users, Telegram has altered its moderation policies in light of Durov’s recent arrest in France related to crimes perpetrated by third parties on the platform.
These adjustments include the introduction of new tools that enable users to report illegal activities in private chats directly to Telegram’s moderators.
“All Telegram apps have ‘Report’ buttons that let you flag illegal content for our moderators — in just a few taps,” the company reassures users on its updated frequently-asked-questions (FAQs) page.
This development could significantly affect illicit groups that take advantage of the app’s lack of oversight to conduct unlawful trades.
Some of these groups boast as many as 250,000 members, facilitating the large-scale exchange of nude content, often acquired through deceit or outright theft.
The FIJ report meticulously revealed how these groups profit from premium content recorded without consent, violating both Nigerian and international privacy laws. If Telegram’s updated policy is enforced rigorously, it may finally offer a pathway to dismantle these groups.
While the prospect of curbing these illegal operations is promising, concerns persist regarding how effectively Telegram will manage reports from Nigerian users and whether law enforcement agencies can interact with the platform more efficiently under the new policies.
As Durov mentioned in a post on his Telegram channel, holding platforms accountable for crimes carried out by users poses a significant challenge. However, the new measures may represent a positive step forward, particularly for victims seeking justice.
In 2023, the government of Somalia announced its intention to ban Telegram and other social media platforms in an effort to curb indecent activities, inappropriate content, and propaganda related to extremism.
