Telegram has blocked Hamas channels on Android because Google forced it to
Whether the block extends to iOS users is unknown.
cross-posted from: https://lemdro.id/post/2606865
It's pretty understandable. Many companies do not want to use their platform to give terrorists a voice.
Not sure how I feel about this, Google isn't the law but it is their platform...but the app is the platform that hosts them and they haven't been forced to remove any other groups.
Telegram has removed terrrorist groups such as ISIS before. See this 2019 Wired article
Same here. I think censorship is bad - but looks like Google really want to distance themselves from anything Hamas related, and even Telegram bosses who didn't bend for Russian government pressure (couple of years ago there was an attempt to control or block Telegram there) prefer to stay away from it...
They're also legally liable for content on their app store, which is one of the big (maybe biggest) reasons they bother to monitor it so carefully. Their app store moderation is genuinely heavy-handed at the best of times, but it makes sense for them to distance themselves from Telegram in this case.
It also entirely makes sense that Telegram has only limited their changes to Android as a response. Apple customers are where the money is at anyway.
Good, Hamas terrorists and their apologists should not be given a platform.
Israel and their apologists should not be given one, either.
This is just another parameter that will now be built into future chat software; no high level control over channels or groups by any central authority. The Internet will route around all obstacles.
They shouldn't submit to arbitrary censorship, even if I also disagree with Hamas, Google could do it to anyone they disagree with. Telegram should move to (or at least also be on, with an uncensored version) F-Droid.
This is why I don't use a messaging app that allows non-participants to control my conversations.
Wow Google, that's pretty not evil of you!
Hamas channels, or Hamas channels promoting violence?
First good thing Google has ever done.
🙄 way to be over dramatic
![[VERGE] Telegram has blocked Hamas channels on Android because Google forced it to](https://radiation.party/pictrs/image/a041f52a-84bd-4bcd-922b-d73e6841bc2c.jpeg?format=webp&thumbnail=196)