Telegram’s Lack of Cooperation Amid Deepfake Crisis

Dutch prosecutors are cracking down on Telegram, investigating the platform’s reluctancy to remove criminal material

Dutch authorities are turning up the heat on the popular messaging app, Telegram. The Dutch Public Prosecutor and police are investigating Telegram’s lack of cooperation in removing illegal content. The app has allegedly failed to respond to several Notice and Action requests from Dutch law enforcement, which aim to get rid of criminal material, including deepfakes and explicit content.

According to the Dutch state secretary for Justice, the platform’s refusal to engage with authorities has led to a serious investigation. This lack of cooperation could land the app in deeper legal trouble, especially as governments crack down on tech platforms that don’t take content moderation seriously.

 “So far, the investigation by the Public Prosecution Service has shown that Telegram does not honor Notice and Action requests, which concern requests to remove various criminal material.”  

Telegram’s Growing Legal Troubles

This isn’t the first time Telegram has been under scrutiny. Over the past few years, the messaging platform, which boasts a user base of over 700 million, has repeatedly found itself entangled in legal battles. From enabling extremist groups to host channels on its servers to rampant pirated content, Telegram has faced multiple accusations of turning a blind eye to illegal activities.

Dutch authorities, frustrated with the app’s unresponsiveness, are now stepping up their efforts to hold Telegram accountable. The investigation into the app is part of a broader push to increase the regulation of online platforms and ensure their cooperation in combating illegal content.

Making things even more dramatic, Telegram’s legal battles have not been confined to the Netherlands. The app’s CEO, Pavel Durov, was recently detained for questioning by authorities in another case involving his company’s failure to cooperate with legal requests. While the details of his arrest remain unclear, Durov’s detention has only amplified concerns about Telegram’s practices and raised more questions about the app’s handling of sensitive content.

The Deepfake Crisis

Adding fuel to the fire, a Wired investigation recently unearthed a shocking discovery: the existence of dozens of AI-powered chatbots on Telegram that allow users to create explicit deepfake images with just a few clicks. These chatbots, which have been operating largely undetected, can manipulate images to “remove clothes” or create graphic, X-rated content of unsuspecting individuals.

According to the Wired report, these bots are easily accessible, posing a significant threat, especially to women and young girls. Deepfake expert Henry Ajder, who has been monitoring the rise of these dangerous technologies for years, sounded the alarm in a New York Post interview: 

“It is really concerning that these tools — which are really ruining lives and creating a very nightmarish scenario primarily for young girls and for women — are still so easy to access and to find on the surface web, on one of the biggest apps in the world.”

A Global Deepfake Problem

This scandal bears a striking resemblance to the deepfake crisis that recently rocked South Korea. In 2021, the country faced a wave of AI-generated explicit content that targeted women, often spreading without their knowledge or consent. South Korean authorities have since implemented strict regulations to curb the production and distribution of such content, leading to a significant decrease in the number of deepfake-related cases. However, as Telegram’s latest controversy shows, these problems are far from contained.

The growing use of AI to create explicit images is not only a technological problem but also a human one, as it continues to devastate the lives of countless victims. South Korea’s response to the deepfake crisis might serve as a model for other nations, including the Netherlands, as they attempt to combat this terrifying trend.

Telegram’s Future in Question

Telegram’s refusal to cooperate with Dutch authorities has opened up a much larger conversation about the responsibility tech companies have in tackling illegal content. The app, once praised for its commitment to privacy, is now finding itself on the wrong side of the law in multiple countries. 

For now, Dutch authorities continue their investigation, but whether they’ll be able to force the app into compliance remains unclear. The future of Telegram’s legal battles is uncertain, but one thing is clear: the pressure is mounting.