Telegram has introduced a new policy allowing users to report private chats to moderators, which might help tackle illegal activities in Nigerian groups, such as sharing stolen content.
This policy update came after Telegram’s founder, Pavel Durov, was arrested. It could lead to the removal of illegal Nigerian groups from the platform, including those known for sharing explicit images and pirated materials without permission.
In Nigeria, Telegram has become a hotspot for illegal activities, including the trading of stolen nudes and other prohibited content. The Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) found that some groups are distributing private photos of women without their consent. Despite Nigerian laws against such actions, like the Cybercrime Act, Telegram has often lacked strong moderation.
Telegram, which has nearly 1 billion users, updated its moderation policies after Durov’s arrest in France related to crimes committed by users. Now, users can directly report illegal content in private chats to Telegram’s moderators.
According to Telegram, “All Telegram apps have ‘Report’ buttons that let you flag illegal content for our moderators — in just a few taps,” as stated on their updated FAQs page.
This change might impact groups using Telegram’s previous lack of oversight to share illegal content. Some of these groups have up to 250,000 members and trade in stolen or deceitfully obtained nude images.
The FIJ report revealed that these groups profit from premium content recorded without permission, breaking both Nigerian and international privacy laws. If Telegram enforces its new policy well, it could help shut down these groups.
However, it’s still uncertain how effectively Telegram will handle reports from Nigerian users and whether law enforcement can work with the platform more efficiently under these new rules.
In 2023, Somalia announced plans to ban Telegram and other social media platforms to prevent indecent content and extremist propaganda.
