Telegram has blocked Hamas channels on Android because Google forced it to
Telegram has blocked Hamas channels on Android because Google forced it to
Whether the block extends to iOS users is unknown.
cross-posted from: https://lemdro.id/post/2606865
Can confirm. I uninstalled the app and then reinstalled from F-Droid to see if that would allow me to access the Hamas channel. Now I can't log in lol. It says that it's trying to send a code to my Telegram account, but I don't know how to log in. Seems like problem might be that I didn't log out of Telegram before uninstalling. Others have reported the problem on Reddit and Quora, but there aren't any solutions beyond contacting Telegram support. Oh well.
Update: I reinstalled Telegram from the Google Play store and was able to log in again. After I did, I noticed a message from Telegram explaining that I could download the .APK file directly from the Telegram website to avoid restrictions. I was able install and log in that way, but I still had to get the login code from the Google Play version. Anyway, I can now access the Hamas Online channel again from the APK version.
What is posted on this channel if you don't mind me asking?
It's mostly official statements and announcements from Hamas including the Al-Quassam brigades. The recent hostage releases were announced here before I heard it in the news, which is mainly why I'm following. There are also some videos of Israeli abuses, and occasionally an anti-Netanyahu meme.
I mean the ban only works with play store versions of the app, so IMO it's not such a big deal. Feel free to correct me if it is.
I think it still is a big deal that google is censoring so deeply what you should and shouldn't see
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A significant number of people won't know how to (or even that they can) do that, so it's restricting availability to only those who have the requisite knowledge. Even if there's a workaround, it's still essentially censorship for the un-tech savvy.