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According to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), despite Telegram’s widespread use by criminals, the messenger has become an important tool for law enforcement agencies to infiltrate criminal groups even without the cooperation of the platform’s management. Over the past five years, US intelligence agencies have been able to prosecute many criminals using their own messages in open Telegram channels, which has made the messenger a “hunting ground” for law enforcement agencies, the publication writes.
WSJ notes that before Telegram, criminals mainly used disparate forums on the darknet that were inaccessible to ordinary users. Such forums could only be closed by a court order, and it was difficult to track users. On Telegram, criminals often use the same account on different platforms, which allows investigators to create a “road map” of their activities, explained former federal prosecutor Seth Hertz.
However, Evan Kohlmann, a counterterrorism consultant who worked for the FBI, believes that Telegram is still more convenient for criminals than for investigators. In his opinion, the findings of law enforcement agencies in Telegram are just a “drop in the ocean.”
The WSJ cites several examples of Telegram being successfully used in investigations:
In 2020, federal agents were able to cut off funding for al-Qaeda (designated a terrorist group and banned in Russia) after discovering an open discussion of a money-making scheme in a public Telegram channel. The group asked subscribers to send money to a Bitcoin address to buy weapons for Syrian militants, which allowed US authorities to confiscate the funds.
In September 2024, two Americans were charged with running a neo-Nazi-themed Telegram group that encouraged subscribers to commit murder based on their sexual orientation or work for government agencies. The publicity of the channels helped investigators gather evidence and bring charges.
Telegram COO Mike Ravdonikas told the WSJ: “There is hardly a single social media app that has not been used by criminals, and Telegram is committed to limiting abuse of its platform as much as possible.”
Last month, the platform’s founder, Pavel Durov, was arrested by French authorities. In response, Telegram updated its privacy policy and promised to hand over IP addresses and phone numbers of criminal suspects to authorities.
source : https://www.wsj.com/tech/how-telegram-became-a-hunting-ground-for-criminalsand-cops-8195f483
WSJ notes that before Telegram, criminals mainly used disparate forums on the darknet that were inaccessible to ordinary users. Such forums could only be closed by a court order, and it was difficult to track users. On Telegram, criminals often use the same account on different platforms, which allows investigators to create a “road map” of their activities, explained former federal prosecutor Seth Hertz.
However, Evan Kohlmann, a counterterrorism consultant who worked for the FBI, believes that Telegram is still more convenient for criminals than for investigators. In his opinion, the findings of law enforcement agencies in Telegram are just a “drop in the ocean.”
The WSJ cites several examples of Telegram being successfully used in investigations:
In 2020, federal agents were able to cut off funding for al-Qaeda (designated a terrorist group and banned in Russia) after discovering an open discussion of a money-making scheme in a public Telegram channel. The group asked subscribers to send money to a Bitcoin address to buy weapons for Syrian militants, which allowed US authorities to confiscate the funds.
In September 2024, two Americans were charged with running a neo-Nazi-themed Telegram group that encouraged subscribers to commit murder based on their sexual orientation or work for government agencies. The publicity of the channels helped investigators gather evidence and bring charges.
Telegram COO Mike Ravdonikas told the WSJ: “There is hardly a single social media app that has not been used by criminals, and Telegram is committed to limiting abuse of its platform as much as possible.”
Last month, the platform’s founder, Pavel Durov, was arrested by French authorities. In response, Telegram updated its privacy policy and promised to hand over IP addresses and phone numbers of criminal suspects to authorities.
source : https://www.wsj.com/tech/how-telegram-became-a-hunting-ground-for-criminalsand-cops-8195f483