According to German media, Telegram began to promptly comply with the requirements of the German authorities. Messenger moderators blocked 64 channels in the country with prohibited content, including calls for murder and violence, as well as disobedience to the law due to the pandemic.
Media sources in law enforcement agencies in Germany reported that the country's authorities for the second time contacted the leadership of Telegram via video link, discussed problems, tasks and agreed to continue communication and intensify the exchange of information. According to media sources, during the first meeting, the messenger was represented by the founder Pavel Durov. Then he promised the German authorities to start working constructively on this issue.
Previously, the German Interior Ministry had to independently identify right-wing extremists, conspiracy ideologues, radical opponents of vaccination, aggressive users with lateral thinking and various other agitators who violate the country's laws with their actions in the messenger.
On January 12, 2022, German Interior Minister Nancy Feser stated that the Telegram messaging service could be blocked in the country. This will happen if the messenger, which is popular among far-right groups and people who oppose coronavirus restrictions, does not comply with the requirements of German laws and does not begin to promptly remove prohibited content.
On January 10, Germany demanded that Telegram appoint an official representative in the country to quickly remove banned content due to anti-COVID protests gaining momentum. The Interior Ministry spokesman explained that the German authorities currently send all requests to the UAE, where Telegram is headquartered, and most of the requests do not reach the only known Telegram mailbox in Dubai at all.
On February 1, the media reported that the German Ministry of Justice had launched two investigations into Telegram. The messenger for each of them can be fined several million euros for not removing prohibited content and refusing to impose restrictions on the distribution by users of publications with threats and calls for disobedience from COVID dissidents.
On February 4, Telegram made contact with the German authorities. Earlier, the German authorities sent two letters to the Telegram headquarters in the UAE, but they were ignored. Telegram could be fined 55 million euros for failure to comply with German requirements.
bbabo.Net