Durov was asked to make Telegram “Stars” anonymous to protect Russians from criminal cases

Durov was asked to make Telegram “Stars” anonymous to protect Russians from criminal cases

Human rights defenders from Memorial asked Pavel Durov to hide the data of people who send “Stars,” because several criminal cases have already been opened in Russia over these paid reactions under posts by “banned” organizations.

⭐️ Right now, the name of a “Stars” sender can be publicly visible. Security officers look at the list of senders and use this data in cases.

⭐️ The letter cites the example of 56-year-old Mikhail Antonovich from Tyumen. He is accused of financing terrorism over nine “Stars” in three Telegram channels worth less than 300 rubles.

⭐️ Memorial is asking Telegram to make such reactions anonymous by default, add a general privacy setting, and warn users about the risks.

“Today, the technical transparency of Stars sender lists directly threatens the freedom and lives of hundreds of people”

the appeal says.

We have already explained how Telegram Stars work and how to protect yourself when sending them. If you use “Stars,” take a look at our guide.

Photo: Pavel Durov’s Instagram

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