A warning statement came in Germany about Telegram, one of the world’s most popular messaging applications. It was said that the application used by anti-vaccine and anti-pandemic restrictions to come together, especially during the pandemic period, could be closed.
Making a statement on the subject, German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said in a statement to the German newspaper Die Zeit that the application, which is popular especially among the far-right, pandemic restrictions and against vaccination, may have to be closed if it continues to violate German laws.
‘Shutdown is a last resort’
In this warning statement, Faeser said that closing the application would be a last resort, but they could not ignore such a possibility. Last summer, Telegram was also sued for breaking the law in Germany. If the case ends against Telegram, it is thought that the company could be fined 5.5 million euros.
Telegram has long been seen as a source of conspiracy theories and hate speech in Germany. In addition, the anti-vaccine groups and those who are against the restrictions implemented in the pandemic come together and organize through the application. According to the statements from the German side, it is also discussed what kind of sanctions can be applied to Telegram throughout the European Union.