19th May 2022 – (Hong Kong) It was reported a few days ago that since the Hong Kong government may ban Telegram as most of the doxxing messages originated from the chat groups created in the app. It was rumoured that Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data intends to invoke the law for the first time to stop or restrict public access to the platform citing ‘privacy violations’.
In response to foreign media inquiries, a Telegram spokeswoman said that she was surprised by the news. Telegram spokeswoman Remi Vaughn said the company has been strongly opposed to the sharing of personal privacy information and prohibits “doxxing” content. Its administrators regularly remove “doxxing” content from around the world, and also handle all reports via the app or emails sent to the company.
Vaughn continued that, regardless of the source of the report, the company will review and follow up with the Telegram’s terms of service and privacy policy when handling reports about the content. If any information contains illegal pornography or advocation of violence, it will take corresponding actions. However, any requests related to political censorship or restrictions on human rights, such as freedom of speech or assembly rights, “are not and will not be considered.” It also means that the relevant management policies are common to each country or region.