European officials criticized Telegram.
According to them, the messenger has become the main weapon of pro-Kremlin accounts in spreading disinformation aimed at undermining support for Ukraine. Bloomberg reports that Russian intelligence recently used Telegram to recruit petty criminals to wreak havoc in European capitals.
This has angered European officials, who consider fighting fake news a top priority ahead of national elections in June. For all their new powers to regulate data on the network, they are virtually powerless to rein in Telegram.
"Disinformation is spread openly and completely unchecked on Telegram," said Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas.
Kallas also added that requests to remove content often go unanswered, something other EU member states are experiencing.
It is noted that Russian propaganda uses Telegram as the main resource for spreading disinformation in Europe.
At the same time, European authorities cannot fine Telegram under the law on digital markets, since the messenger must have more than 45 million users in Europe. And now Telegram has only 41 million.
