Umar Mohammad, the doctor suspected to be the suicide attacker in the Delhi car blast, was part of a radical doctors’ group that coordinated on the popular messaging app Telegram. Umar, according to Delhi police sources, was linked to the Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed. He triggered the explosion near the iconic Red Fort after he “panicked” following the arrest of two associates – also doctors – believed to be key members of the JeM’s terror module, in the past few days, sources said.
For millions of users across the globe, Telegram is like any other secure social media or messaging app. But the encrypted application, which positions itself as a privacy-focused, secure messaging platform, is reportedly becoming a melting pot of terrorism, criminal activities, disinformation, child sexual abuse material, and racist incitement.
About Telegram
Telegram was founded in 2013 by Russian-born billionaire Pavel Durov and his brother Nikolai Durov. Over the years, the messaging app’s ease of use, its public channels and, most importantly, its ability to encrypt private conversations have fuelled its global appeal and made it the face of global dissent.
The messenger was used by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to rally his compatriots for repelling the Russian invasion. In Hong Kong, activists used Telegram to organise demonstrations against a repressive law. In Belarus, pro-democracy forces turned to the platform to protest against election fraud.
Terrorism on Telegram
But the less moderated online spaces provided by Telegram have also enabled extremists to reach wider masses and do self-promotion, brand development, and propaganda dissemination. Terrorist groups like the Islamic State and al-Qaeda, among others, and extremist organisations like Hamas and Hezbollah have shifted their communications onto the app for purposes that may include recruiting new members, fundraising, inciting violence, and even coordinating terrorist activity outside detection or interference from law enforcement.
In 2015, when these concerns were raised at a TechCrunch conference, Telegram founder Pavel Durov asserted that “
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