According to the UN report, Telegram facilitates the growth of illegal underground markets

A report from the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC) shows that criminal networks in Southeast Asia are exploiting Telegram and using the messaging app as a digital hub for illegal activities.

The app’s effective encryption details make it an attractive platform for the spread of organized crime.

Stolen data, including credit card details, login details and browser history, is openly sold on Telegram channels with little oversight, said the UN report.

The research added that deepfake software and malware are also being promoted, with unlicensed crypto exchanges offering money laundering services. UN officials searched Telegram and found word patterns associated with deepfake technology, indicating that demand for this technology is increasing.

A billion dollar industry

The UNODC estimates that the underworld industry in Southeast Asia generates between $27.4 billion and $36.5 billion annually.

It notes that there is “strong evidence that underground data markets are moving to Telegram and that suppliers are actively seeking out transnational organized crime groups in Southeast Asia.

“Taking advantage of technological advances, criminal groups are producing larger-scale and harder-to-detect fraud, money laundering, underground banking and online scams,” said Masood Karimipour, UNODC Regional Representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific.

This has led to the creation of a criminal services economy, and the region has now become a major testing ground for transnational criminal networks looking to expand their influence and diversify into new industries,” he added.

A critical sentence in the report and a warning shot to governments and law enforcement agencies read: “Failure to address this ecosystem will have consequences” for Southeast Asia and other regions.

At a time when Telegram is already under intense scrutiny after the detention of CEO Pavel Durovthe UN publication will only increase the pressure.

The company has changed its privacy policy last month to confirm that it would provide user data to law enforcement agencies in response to a valid legal order. This represents a clear shift in Telegram’s position on sharing data with law enforcement agencies.

The UN article, which says Telegram facilitates the growth of illegal underground markets, first appeared on ReadWrite.