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Telegram's public channels have become a place where disinformation and conspiracy theories abound. Studies indicate that the platform's lack of content moderation and the possibility of contacting tens of thousands of people make these channels ideal places to disseminate potentially harmful content to a wide audience.
The 'alternative' channels that spread disinformation
This investigation is carried out by Maldita.es (Spain) in collaboration with the University of Granada. It analyzes nearly half a million messages published between December 2019 and August 2024 on 95 Spanish-language Telegram channels to better understand how they work.
Among the channels analysed are media outlets and others that present themselves as ‘alternative information’. The latter claim that the media and official sources are not reliable, but that they are there to transmit to their followers what others do not tell them. However, all kinds of disinformation, conspiracy theories and unsubstantiated claims are constantly appearing among the content of these channels.
The research confirms that on Telegram these ‘alternative channels’ that disguise as information what are, in fact, hoaxes have more impact and are able to create large communities of users who constantly receive this alternative and misleading view of current events that are the focus of public debate. These are the main findings.
The channels that present themselves as alternative analysed are stronger on Telegram than traditional media channels.
Have a more engaged audience through feedback and comments
Create communities with other similar channels..
They also serve as a connection to the world beyond Telegram: they share a lot of content from other platforms and include links that also redirect to them
They tailor their messages to current events so that their followers constantly receive an ‘alternative’ and falsified view of what is happening.
With a larger audience than the media
Channels that present themselves as ‘alternative’ while spreading disinformation and supporting conspiracy theories have a much larger following than those of the mainstream media. On average, these channels have more than four times as many followers as those of the media: an average of 34,000 versus the media's 8,300. Moreover, although each channel evolves in its own way, in general these channels that pretend to inform while transmitting disinformation in disguise gain followers during the time analysed, while the traditional media barely make any progress.
In terms of the reach of their publications, the number of views of the content of the disinformation channels is much higher, as can be seen in the following graph. For example, the average reach of the most followed among this type of channels is close to 600,000 views in the last period of time analysed.
With more involved and active supporters
Channels that masquerade as informers while spreading hoaxes not only have more users, but their followers are also more engaged. On Telegram, there are two ways to interact with messages posted on channels that each administrator decides whether to activate or not. There is the option to respond with emojis to what is published and the option to open a chat to comment on each of the messages. Channels that call themselves alternative make more use of these two means of participation. Eighty per cent of them have reactions to messages activated for any user who accesses their content, while only 53% of media channels do. Followers of these channels use this way of reacting to a message nine times more than those of the media.
As for group chat, 3 out of 5 of the channels camouflaged as news channels had this section. Only 10 of these channels did not have either of the two forms of interaction that favour the creation of a related and highly active community.
This is how ‘alternative’ communities are created
User communities are not only forged by the internal activity of each channel; they also create links that connect channels that are interested in the same topics and that share a vision that leads them to doubt the information consumed by the general public while regularly distributing disinformation.
It is very common for these channels to share content with each other. There are different profiles. Some are content creators and others are dedicated to sharing what others have published. But, by acting in this way, networks of related groups are formed.
In addition, since November 2023, the platform itself recommends a list of other ‘similar channels’ in the form of a pop-up to users who subscribe to a channel. In this way, it is very easy for the same user to follow several of these channels. Thus, through the functionality of similar channels, networks of interconnected channels are formed (as shown in the graph below).
Connections outside Telegram
These channels are not only forming a network within Telegram, they also collect content from other platforms and direct their followers to them. When we look at the list of the most shared links, Telegram is clearly in first place because, as we have seen, there is a strong relationship between channels. Beyond that, there are five types of links worth highlighting.
Large social media platforms (YouTube or Twitter). Many of these channels function as disseminators of all kinds of content that fits in with the disinformation narratives they present as the alternatives they defend. It is common for them to seek out such content on large platforms. It is also common for the administrators of Telegram channels to have profiles on these social networks and to bounce their content from YouTube or X onto the Telegram channel.
Minority social networks with little moderation (Odysee, Rumble or Parler): These platforms are much smaller but have hardly any content moderation. This makes it easier for more extreme content to circulate on them, which is attractive to this type of channel. In fact, some of them or their administrators also have an account on one of these platforms where they generate content that is then disseminated on Telegram channels.
Websites linked to the channel groups themselves (euskalnews or eldiestro): Some channels are dedicated to disseminating the disinformation content of websites directly linked to the channel. For example, Maldita.es has denied on a dozen occasions publications from the website ‘El Diestro’ and ‘EuskalNews’ regularly disseminates content from well-known disinformation sources such as Josep Pamiés or Robert F. Kennedy. In these cases, the channel uses Telegram as a gateway for its content, which can then reach further afield through the networks of related channels.
Traditional media (ABC or El Mundo): When some real news fits the narratives they defend, they also share it on the channel, although their usual line is to distrust the media.
Disinformation and propaganda websites: The list of the most shared domains includes some classified as disinformation by the specialised website Media Bias Fact Check, such as The Gateway Pundit and ZeroHedge. The Russian state broadcaster RT, which has been suspended by the European Union since March 2022, also appears on the list.
Other types of links included are intended to seek funding: 1 out of 8 channels link in their description to payment applications such as Patreon or even give bank information so that their subscribers can make direct donations through transfers.
An ‘alternative’ and disinformative view of current events
The research divided the channels into five groups according to the main topic they dealt with: climate change, COVID-19 and vaccines, pro-Russian narratives, miscellaneous content and media. The analysis of the publications showed that, although each group focused on its own topic, there were changes and they adapted their publications to the current news situation. Thus, when the public debate focuses on one topic, users of these channels receive an alternative and distorted view of what is happening.
This adaptation process can be seen in the list of the top 10 topics on which channels that disguise disinformation as informative content publish. The graphs show how, while events and politics in Spain have a constant presence, there are major events that break out abruptly between the publications of these channels. For example, the peaks due to the war in Ukraine in February 2022, the conflict between Israel and Palestine in October 2023 or the farmers' protests in early 2024 are easily identifiable.
Based on the results of this research, the Maldita.es Foundation has published a public policy document that responds to the growing influence of the platform and the systemic risks linked to the Digital Services Act (DSA) that can be observed. The document recommends that the authorities complete the verification of the number of users reported by Telegram and proceed quickly and quickly to its designation as a VLOP (Very Large Online Platform), if applicable. In addition, Telegram should review its conditions of use to include disinformation, develop moderation measures adapted to the platform, and collaborate with experts and members of civil society.