5/17/23, 2:10 PM Is Telegram profiting from Myanmar’s nightmare? · Global Voices [https://www.frontiermyanmar.net/en/channelling-hate-and-disinformation-myanmars-bad-actors-move-to-telegram/] avenue to continue their work. They took advantage of Telegram’s weak content moderation policies by disseminating [https://globalvoices.org/2023/01/30/how-military-supporters-are-usingtelegram-channels-to-suppress-dissent-in-myanmar/] non-consensual and sexualized images of women, doxing [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doxing] dissenters, and inciting violence toward the opposition. Although a few of the pro-military channels were banned [https://twitter.com/BBCNewsnight/status/1618370252781522946] from Telegram, the company continues to fail to take action against hundreds of problematic accounts connected to disinformation operations. Some pro-military accounts even appear to subscribe to the Telegram Premium [https://telegram.org/blog/700-million-and-premium] plan as of October 2022. It costs around USD 4 per month to subscribe to Telegram Premium, but the price depends on the region where the user is currently living. Telegram premium allows the subscriber to log in to up to four accounts on the same device, while the free plan only allows three accounts to do so. The maximum number of words on photo and video descriptions for free plan users is 1,024, while the premium account is up to 2,048. Premium badges, such as a blue tick, stars, and other special icons next to a username, identify users as Telegram premium subscribers. Other benefits of the premium plan include double limits, a bigger storage size, faster download speed, unique stickers, and animated emojis. Features from this plan can help the Myanmar pro-military Telegram accounts, which are weaponizing the platform as a digital oppression tool. The Myanmar pro-military paid accounts are widely involved in calling for and collecting the private information of pro-democracy citizens, disseminating abusive content, and launching doxing campaigns against those who oppose them. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) issued a press release [https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2023/03/myanmar-socialmedia-companies-must-stand-juntas-online-terror-campaign-say] stating that pro-junta accounts have taken advantage of Telegram's lax approach to content moderation and gaps in its terms of services. The screenshots below are two Telegram accounts that have been allowed to remain on the app, though they are widely involved in doxing campaigns. These accounts [https://globalvoices.org/2023/01/30/how-military-supporters-are-using-telegram-channels-to-suppress-dissent-in-myanmar/] were also cited in an earlier report by Global Voices on escalating digital authoritarianism in Myanmar. [https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/TelegramMMaccounts.png] The screenshot below (left), taken on December 30, 2022, shows the account included in the violent incitement as a contact point, while the screenshots on the right show that the accounts purchased a Telegram premium plan, as noted by the blue star or blue check. The text connects those who want to take revenge against opposition forces by providing personal information and photos. It also gives instructions on how to claim a reward for sharing information. https://globalvoices.org/2023/05/12/is-telegram-profiting-from-myanmars-nightmare/ 2/4