JAKARTA - The Messenger service Telegram, which has proved popular with far-right groups and those opposed to COVID-19-related restrictions, has blocked 64 of its channels in Germany. This blocking was reported by, Sueddeutsche Zeitung on Friday, February 11 without providing the source of the information.
The move came after Germany's Federal Criminal Police Office had previously sent a closure request to the messaging service, the newspaper said.
Telegram has been blamed in Germany for fueling an increasingly vicious subculture of anti-vaccine conspiracy theories who exchange news about alleged dangers and orchestrate protests that have spiraled into violence.
The newspaper also said channels affected included the channel of Attila Hildmann, a celebrity and vegan chef who spread conspiracy theories about the coronavirus to more than 100,000 followers on the messaging service.
Germany's Interior Ministry, which last week said it had held constructive talks with representatives of Telegram, did not immediately comment on the report. Telegram also did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Reuters or other media.
The Telegram app is becoming increasingly popular with activists and protesters alike, especially as platforms like Facebook have become more responsive to government pressure to crack down on those who spread lies, threats or conspiracy theories.
Germany's Interior Minister, Nancy Faeser, said in remarks published last month that Germany could shut down Telegram and was discussing with its European Union partners how to regulate the messenger service.
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