Telegram CEO Pavel Durov Revamps Platform After Release from Police Custody

Pavel Durov, the CEO of Telegram, has recently unveiled new features and phased out some outdated ones following his release from police custody in France. Durov, who is currently unable to leave France, has announced that the platform has disabled new media uploads to Telegraph, its standalone blogging tool, citing misuse of the platform by anonymous users.

In his own words, Durov stated, "Today we are introducing new features while phasing out a few outdated ones. We have removed the People Nearby feature, which was used by less than 0.1% of Telegram users, but had issues with bots and scammers. In its place, we will be launching Business Nearby, showing legitimate, verified businesses. These businesses will be able to display product catalogs and accept payments seamlessly. We have also disabled new media uploads to Telegraph, our standalone blogging tool, which seems to have been misused by anonymous actors."

Durov emphasized that while 99.999% of Telegram users have no involvement in criminal activities, the 0.001% engaged in illicit activities created a negative image for the entire platform, putting the interests of millions of users at risk.

The changes reflect Telegram's commitment to maintaining a safe and secure platform for its users, ensuring that legitimate businesses are highlighted while addressing misuse and illicit activities.

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