'Dangerous' Platform, Really? World Leaders, Even Macron, Still Use Telegram Despite Durov Arrest
Earlier this week, Pavel Durov, the CEO of Telegram, faced preliminary charges for allegedly facilitating criminal activities on his encrypted platform. These charges include accusations of enabling drug trafficking and the sharing of sexual images of minors due to inadequate moderation.
Durov's arrest has not deterred President Macron from using the messaging app. According to European press reports, on August 26, the head of state was indicated to have logged into Telegram "recently."
Additionally, French lawmakers, cabinet members, and presidential advisers frequently use the messaging platform, as revealed by the media.
Macron has been active on the platform since the early days of his first presidential campaign. He has over 112,000 followers and his latest post is dated August 12.
Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who boasts over 1.6 million followers, shares posts on Telegram practically on a daily basis.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is also active on Telegram, with his most recent post dated August 28.
A verified account belonging to Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obradoralso exists on the platform. On August 30, he began sharing a series of posts about the Tren Maya, a renowned railway project in Mexico.
Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev's account, which boasts almost 200,000 followers, makes use of Telegram for official announcements.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu runs an official account on the messaging service in Russian.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali takes to Telegram regularly to shed light on the African nation's urgent issues.
The list could go on indefinitely. The platform has evolved into a convenient means for world leaders to engage with their constituents.