On this edition of Your Call's Media Roundtable, we're discussing a ProPublica/Frontline investigation about how Telegram became the "center of gravity" for far-right extremists and domestic terrorists.
Last month, French authorities indicted Telegram founder Pavel Durov on several charges, including spreading child abuse images, drug trafficking, and failure to cooperate with French law enforcement.
According to ProPublica and Frontline, the platform Durov created has long been both applauded and derided for its extreme commitment to free speech and for rebuffing inquiries from both US and foreign law enforcement agencies, which have sought to gather information about alleged criminal activity on the platform.
Today, Telegram is heavily favored by right-wing extremists, including QAnon followers, the Proud Boys, militia members, and white supremacist groups like the Patriot Front and the Active Clubs.
Guest:
A.C. Thompson, staff reporter with ProPublica and producer and correspondent for the PBS documentary series Frontline
Resources:
ProPublica/Frontline: The Accelerationists’ App: How Telegram Became the “Center of Gravity” for a New Breed of Domestic Terrorists
The New Yorker: The Arrest of Telegram’s Founder Illuminates Global Anxieties About Social Platforms
