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Telegram encrypted messaging app has blocked more than 8,500 in October due to terrorist links and incitement of violence, Pavel Durov, the company's CEO, said.
"The promotion of violence in any form is banned" by Telegram, Durov said on his channel on Sunday. "
Only in October, we blocked more than 8,500 channels associated with terrorism," he added, saying that the line, which shouldn't be crossed, was "clear."
"One can criticize the local authorities, challenge the status quo and arrange a political debate. At the same time, one can't encourage violence and call for actions that will harm innocent people. Here is the main criterion for moderation of our public channels," he explained.
The tech entrepreneur said one example was a popular Iranian channel which asked its subscribers to throw stones at public facilities and film it on video. Telegram contacted its owner and demanded calls for vandalism to be removed. But instead, the channel launched a new contest for its viewers, which involved throwing Molotov cocktails at mosques, and was immediately blocked, he said.
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