Over six weeks earlier this year, researchers from algorithm auditing group AI Forensics analyzed nearly 2.8 million messages sent in 16 Italian and Spanish Telegram communities, which are regularly posting abusive content targeting women and girls. The analysis said more than 24,000 members of Telegram groups and channels participated in the study, posting 82,723 images, videos and audio files. Many posts target celebrities and influencers, but men in the groups also often victimize women they know.
“We forget that most victims are ordinary women, who sometimes don’t even know that their photos are shared or manipulated in these types of channels,” said Sylvia Semenzin, a researcher at AI Forensics. It is classified as a “very large online platform” under strict regulation and Europe’s online security rules.
The findings come as Durov is fighting against Russia’s efforts to block the messaging app in that country, which has long established itself as a messaging app that allows free speech but is also used by some to share terrorist, sexual exploitation and cybercrime content. Durov is under criminal investigation in France in relation to alleged criminal activity occurring on Telegram, although he has consistently denied the allegations.
A Telegram spokesperson told WIRED that the company removes “millions” of pieces of content daily using “custom AI tools” and that it has policies in Europe that do not allow illegal sexual content including violence, non-consensual imagery, and other content such as doxxing and selling illegal goods and services.
The wide variety of abusive content and services observed by AI forensics researchers included access to, publishing and doxxing of women’s private information, sharing of their Instagram or TikTok content, as well as references to spying or hacking. “Victims are often named, tagged and located through shared profile links,” the group reports.
A translated post on Telegram titled “Professional hacking on commission” claims it is able to provide customers with “access to phone gallery and extract photos and videos” as well as “anonymous social media hacking.” Another message said: “I hack and recover any type of social media service. I can spy on your partner’s account. Send me a private message.”
There were more than 18,000 references to espionage or espionage material in the entire dataset. One post reads: “Hi, are you interested in spying on a girl’s gallery? We sell a bot that does this for DM information.” Meanwhile, users were seen asking if people can find phone numbers associated with Instagram accounts and other requests like, “Who exchanges spy photos and videos?”
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