Marco Buschmann, Germany’s Liberal Justice Minister, is now calling for a united EU effort to stop “extremists” from using Telegram’s instant messaging service.
Telegram has become a shelter for people who have been restricted by major social media networks.
There is outrage in Germany, where social media censorship is strictly enforced, that immigration and vaccination critics have now found a new venue.
Justice Minister Marco Buschmann, who calls the content on Telegram “disgusting and indecent”, now wants to see a coordinated action against the service at the EU level.
According to RT, Buschmann believes that tackling the issue together inside the EU will “have a stronger influence” on Telegram than “any country trying to do it on its own.”
The minister, who was sworn in earlier this month, went on to suggest that it was in Telegram’s best interests to maintain continuous access to the European market now that the service has moved to adverts to monetize its popularity.
Buschmann, however, warned that even if the EU succeeded in bringing Telegram to heel, that alone would not end the problem of hate speech and extremism online, as “radicals will find new ways and platforms.”
Forsided, 22.12.2021