Telegram's algorithm promotes extremist content: study

A recent study from the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), has revealed that Telegram’s algorithm encourages users to view extremist content, BBC reported.

The report, titled Telegram’s Toxic Recommendations, shows that Telegram’s "similar channels" feature, introduced last year, suggests extremist channels even to users exploring non-political topics like celebrities or technology.

SPLC researchers analyzed 28,000 Telegram channels and found that the algorithm pushes users browsing neutral subjects toward radical content. 

For example, a search for “Donald Trump” quickly led to recommendations for channels promoting the QAnon conspiracy theory, which falsely claims that Trump is fighting a secret war against an elite network of Satan-worshipping paedophiles. 

Similarly, a search for “UK riots” prompted recommendations for far-right extremist groups, including channels promoting violent ideologies.

Professor Megan Squire, who led the research, demonstrated how users, even those searching for unrelated topics, were soon exposed to extremist content. She highlighted how Telegram’s algorithm is not only pushing memes but also mobilizing actual events, such as protests and riots. 

In the aftermath of the Southport knife attack in August, Telegram users quickly posted calls for demonstrations and shared false claims about the suspect being an asylum seeker.

Former Telegram insider Elies Campo expressed concern about the company’s failure to address harmful content. Telegram founder Pavel Durov, currently under investigation in France for allowing criminality on the platform, reportedly dismissed efforts to regulate extremist material.

Despite Telegram’s claims that it removes millions of harmful pieces of content daily, experts, including Professor David Maimon, argue that Telegram is increasingly a haven for illegal activities. 

He showed how a quick search for firearms led to offers for Uzi submachine guns being shipped to the UK. Critics are urging more stringent regulation to prevent further escalation of criminal activity on the platform.