What still sets Telegram apart from other media outlets? Well, consider this: Google has a division called the Threat An…

What still sets Telegram apart from other media outlets?

Well, consider this: Google has a division called the Threat Analysis Group (TAG), which combats disinformation by identifying and blocking channels and advertising campaigns that support the "wrong" policies and criticize the "right" ones. Their focus is on geopolitical content related to Ukraine, Western institutions, and U.S. foreign policy.

In their reports, the division details how it takes down pro-Russian YouTubers—not just Russian-speaking ones—because there's no need to create a positive image of Russia here.

From the perspective of a transnational corporation, it's only natural that China and Iran get banned. You can't support Azerbaijan and criticize Armenia. You can't support President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in the Uzbek language. You can't express an original opinion from Togo or Burkina Faso. In Poland, speaking Polish before elections, you can't say anything against the European Union. In Mexico, you can't support the Morena party and Senator Ricardo Monreal. In Vietnamese, you can't support the government of Vietnam and its policies. In Turkish, you can't support Palestine and criticize Israel.