Telegram blocks hacker group leaking and selling Russian officials’ private correspondence
Telegram administrators have blocked the hacking group BlackMirror’s channel “for doxxing and defamation-based extortion.” The platform deleted all publications from the channel, including posts that users had forwarded to private chats and saved as favorites. Novaya Gazeta Europe was among the first to report the news.
BlackMirror published private correspondence and “leaked” documents from Russian officials and businesspeople. The channel’s authors also offered buyout arrangements to interested parties to remove published material. Such practices have become common on Russian Telegram channels targeting government officials and wealthy individuals.
On August 11, Pavel Durov announced that Telegram would ban “numerous channels” for doxxing and extortion in response to hundreds of user reports. The messaging app’s founder stated that the company has “undeniable evidence” that channel administrators published defamatory posts, then deleted them in exchange for payment from victims, with some selling “protection blocks” — fees victims pay to avoid being targeted.
