In a post on Telegram, the founder and CEO Pavel Durov has outlined a new approach for the app, announcing that some “outdated” features have been disabled.
The changes follow Durov’s efforts to reform Telegram’s image, which had developed a reputation as a hub for criminal activity due to its lenient moderation policies. In late August, French authorities arrested and charged Durov with facilitating illegal transactions and being complicit in the distribution of child sexual abuse material.
The first changes to the app, following his arrest in France last month, affect its built-in blog posts and a “People Nearby” location-based feature.
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“We’re introducing new features while phasing out a few outdated ones. We’ve removed the People Nearby feature, which was used by less than 0.1 per cent of Telegram users, but had issues with bots and scammers,” Telegram wrote in a post.
In its place, the company said it will be launching “Businesses Nearby”, showcasing legitimate, verified businesses. These businesses will be able to display product catalogues and accept payments seamlessly.
Moreover, the company disabled new media uploads to ‘Telegraph’, “our standalone blogging tool, which seems to have been misused by anonymous actors”.
“While 99.999 per cent of Telegram users have nothing to do with crime, the 0.001 per cent involved in illicit activities create a bad image for the entire platform, putting the interests of our almost billion users at risk,” Telegram said.
Telegraph was launched in 2016, allowing anyone to anonymously create a post, upload media, and then share the webpage on social media or Telegram. However, security researchers have reported that malicious actors are using the tool to conduct phishing scams. They create fake website landing pages or notices to deceive users into giving away personal information.