Access to Hamas channels on the Telegram app downloaded from the Google and Apple app stores has ended

A report said about this / Reuters Photo

Messaging app Telegram has quietly removed access to several Hamas-linked channels.


According to Al Jazeera's report, it is no longer possible to access the official account of Hamas, the account of al-Qassam Brigades and the news accounts called Gaza Now on the Telegram app downloaded from Google Play or Apple's app stores.


Since October 7, the number of followers of these accounts has increased by millions, but for now they can only be accessed through the app, which can be downloaded directly from the Telegram website.


There has been no official statement from Telegram about blocking access to Hamas-linked accounts on the Google Play Store or Apple's App Store download app, but the move appears to have been prompted by the Zachor Legal Institute, an American lobbying group. After being contacted.


A Google spokesperson told Al Jazeera that apps in the Google Play Store have to ensure their content is vetted.


According to the spokesperson, 'it is important to prevent acts of terrorism or content that incites violence'.


Note that Telegram is heavily used by Hamas.


This Palestinian group uses this messaging app to spread their message.


After October 7, the number of new followers on Al-Qassam Brigade and Hamas Telegram channels increased by 500,000 and 100,000, respectively.


Gaza Now is also linked to Hamas and the channel has 1.9 million followers.


Telegram's chief executive Pavel Durov has defended the platform's free speech policies in the past.


In a recent statement, he said that our platform provides valuable details about the Gaza war and reduces the risk of spreading harmful content, as it is the user's decision to follow a channel. .


He also said that our team deletes millions of harmful posts every day.


In view of Hamas' total ban on the Telegram account, followers have been asked to download the group's special app.