Telegram is the last major social network that refuses to moderate misinformation. The app, which has over 500 million users, is run by a libertarian founder and a small team of programmers who are philosophically opposed to taking down almost any content (unless it incites violence or spreads child porn). Its public channels have become a haven for conspiracy theorists and extremists who have been kicked out of other platforms, like Facebook and Twitter.
But a ban in Brazil has forced Telegram to reverse its position on content moderation. On March 18, Brazil’s Supreme Court ordered internet service providers and Apple and Google’s app stores to block access to Telegram because it had ignored the court’s orders to take down accounts spreading misinformation. Two days later, the court lifted its ban after Telegram deleted posts from Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro, banned an account from a Bolsonaro supporter accused of spreading misinformation, and vowed to begin monitoring the 100 most popular channels in Brazil for viral lies.
[…]
Source: A ban in Brazil made Telegram change its stance on misinformation | Quartz