Sunday December 12th 2021
Otherwise limit usage
Kretschmer: Telegram must take action against agitation
As someone against whom specific murder plans were shared on Telegram, it is clear to the Saxon Prime Minister Kretschmer: If the messenger service wants to continue to be active in this country, the operator must not watch the spread of hatred and agitation.
Saxony’s Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer has spoken out in favor of restrictions on the Telegram messenger service in order to curb hatred and agitation in the corona pandemic. “It can no longer be accepted that the operators of Telegram from Dubai watch idly as death threats are spread in their network,” said Kretschmer of “Bild am Sonntag”. “If you want to continue to offer your services on the German market, you have to take action against this agitation. Otherwise the EU, the federal government, Apple and Android have to restrict their use.”
The Saxon head of government is himself affected by the hatred of Telegram. Radicalized anti-vaccination opponents and corona conspirators have apparently shared violent fantasies and concrete murder plans against Kretschmer. According to research by the ZDF magazine “Frontal”, individual members of the more than 100-person group entitled “Dresden Offline Networking” met several times in public places in order to possibly discuss future procedures.
In the report, citing the chat history, it says that some men have already acquired weapons and ammunition or should already have them in advance. One of the actors is quoted as saying: “I would also go to extremes if I have to.” In addition to content that trivializes or even denies the coronavirus pandemic, anti-Semitic conspiracy theories are also shared. Kretschmer doesn’t want to be intimidated by this. According to the State Office of Criminal Investigation in Saxony, the police and the Public Prosecutor General are now examining the factual and legal situation in the case.