Telegram’s algorithms promote extremist content, researchers say

The messaging app Telegram is reportedly using a feature that serves some users extremist content, according to researchers.

Telegram’s “similar channels” feature, introduced last year, recommends extremist channels even when users browse channels on nonpolitical topics such as celebrities or technology, according to a report by the U.S. nonprofit legal advocacy organization Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC).

“A broad variety of extremist groups and individuals, including neo-Nazis, antisemites, conspiracy theorists, Proud Boys, QAnon influencers, and others, are now operating openly on Telegram, spreading propaganda, recruiting new adherents, and forming communities,” the researchers said.

To understand how extremist channels are recommended on the app, the SPLC created a list of 300 English-language, U.S.-centric Telegram channels supporting various extremist ideologies, including white nationalism, neo-Nazism, neo-Confederate movements, antigovernment conspiracies and propaganda.

They found that even users who choose to consume extremist content from one ideology — such as antigovernment conspiracies or election disinformation — are often “suggested” channels from unrelated extremist ideologies, including antisemitism or white nationalism.

Telegram, founded in Russia, gained a following in the U.S. after platforms like Facebook and X began banning users who violated their terms of service by posting hate speech or disinformation, particularly during major social upheavals, including the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Although it is unclear how many users Telegram has in the U.S., the platform hosts numerous channels promoting extremist ideologies popular in the country. Researchers noted that Telegram’s toxic recommendation system also affects official U.S. accounts on the platform.

For instance, U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene maintains two official — or “blue checkmark” — Telegram accounts. Her visitors receive Telegram recommendations for channels associated with MAGA and hard-right personalities, including former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon and former attorney and MAGA conspiracist Lin Wood.

In addition to the “similar channels” feature, Telegram’s relatively lax content moderation practices make it appealing to extremists, according to the SPLC. The app’s public and private discussion groups, which can host up to 200,000 users, allow extremist groups to spread propaganda and recruit new members while maintaining secure communication on the same platform.

“The platform’s file storage feature also allows these groups to store and disseminate a wide range of propaganda materials, from e-books and podcasts to instructional videos,” researchers said.

Earlier in December, Telegram’s founder, Russian-born billionaire Pavel Durov, stated that the platform’s moderation team removes about 1 million channels and groups each month, along with over 10 million users who violate its rules.

“These impressive results were made possible thanks to your reports, as well as our automated detection systems and AI-powered tools,” Durov said.

In August, Durov was arrested in Paris and placed in custody on charges related to Telegram’s use by criminals for activities including money laundering and drug trafficking. French authorities also alleged that Telegram has been used to distribute extremist content and child sexual abuse material.

“Telegram’s combination of public channels, encrypted messaging, and file storage makes it a potent tool for extremist groups,” researchers concluded. “Users deplatformed from other social media sites have found a haven on Telegram, exploiting its unique combination of technologies to further their agendas.”

Telegram has not responded to a request for comment about the researchers’ findings.

In September, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) indicted two leaders of a white supremacist group that used Telegram to spread its ideology and coordinate activities.

The leaders of the so-called Terrorgram Collective shared videos and publications in their Telegram channels and group chats that encouraged attacks against Black, immigrant, LGBTQ, and Jewish people.