As reported by BBC News, women’s intimate pictures are being shared to harass, shame and blackmail them on a massive scale, on the social media app Telegram. A BBC investigation into Telegram found large groups and channels sharing thousands of secretly filmed, stolen or leaked images of women in at least 20 countries. And there’s little evidence the platform is tackling this problem.
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Telegram offers a very open communication platform, broadcasting to thousands of people, and can be used to remain completely anonymous. The tools used to evade capture are freely available and offer anyone with illicit intent free reign to broadcast whatever they choose. Unfortunately, given how widely used the platform is, multiple individuals have chosen to abuse the service, which leaves Telegram in a position of having to tame the beast they have created. Without quick and efficient reporting and measures to combat harmful content in place, it will remain a very open market for other illegal content to surface freely.