The WhatsApp alternative Telegram is increasingly becoming the focus of politics. A ban on the app is in the air after the misconduct of the users, since the makers are not doing anything about it. The German interior minister is now hoping for help from Google and Apple.

Version:8.2.7

Languages:German

Platforms:Android

Interior Minister: Google and Apple should remove Telegram

In the last few weeks and months, Telegram has come more and more into the line of fire. There it feels like you can rush and trade illegal content with impunity. The makers know about the problems, because the Abuses have been publicly documented for months are, but there is no response. Germany had even asked for official assistance from Dubai, since the company is based there – so far without success. So the threats of German politics come to nothing. Now the Federal Minister of the Interior is trying something different:

Nancy Faeser is now demanding directly from Google and Apple that the both companies assume their social responsibility and remove apps like Telegram, which are considered “fire accelerators”, from the app stores. It has already been proven that Telegram can filter content, said Lower Saxony’s Interior Minister Boris Pistorius. Pornographic and Islamist-terrorist content has been removed (source: hot). The technical possibilities are there.

Telegram is one of the most popular WhatsApp alternatives:

Can Google and Apple harm Telegram?

If Google and Apple actually decide to remove Telegram from the app stores, it will have a strong impact, at least on iOS devices. There you can’t just install the app yourself and continue using it. On Android, on the other hand, it’s child’s play. Whoever wants would telegram then can continue to use on his Android smartphone via detours.

Still, removing Telegram from the app stores would be a huge blow. After all, you get so many new users who just use the messenger the way it’s intended and don’t abuse it. Whether Google and Apple will react is questionable.