According to Durov, in early January, the Telegram started receiving "an increased number of reports about US-related public activity on our platform" and "acted decisively by clamping down on US channels that advocated violence."
"Thanks to these efforts, last week our moderators blocked and shut down hundreds of public calls for violence that could’ve otherwise reached tens of thousands of subscribers. The team continues to process reports from users in addition to proactively removing content that directly incites violence," he wrote on Telegram.
The Dubai-based Russian entrepreneur noted that "Telegram welcomes political debate coming from all sides of the political spectrum – but will act swiftly to stop those who incite people to inflict harm on others." He also stressed that since its launch in 2013, the messenger has "consistently enforced this rule globally, from Belarus and Iran to Thailand and Hong Kong."
The statement comes a day after Washington-based nonprofit Coalition for a Safer Web filed a lawsuit against Apple, demanding that the latter delete the Telegram messenger from its App Store, just as it did with Parler, a social network popular with sitting US President Donald Trump supporters.
The lawsuit claims that Telegram, which is said to have seen an influx of US users after the Big Tech crackdown on Trump, "is being used to intimidate, threaten, and coerce members of the public."