Earlier, crypto enthusiasts had created a self-described “meme app” dubbed “gm” app wherein users would greet each other with “gm” or “good morning” messages. However, in September 2021, the gm app was down after a hacker reportedly gained access to the user data. During a meeting with the president of the Supreme Electoral Court (TSE) on June 6, Telegram's Vice President Ilya Perekopsky announced the initiatives. According to the executive, Brazil is the first country in the world where Telegram is introducing the features, which could be expanded to other countries facing threats to democracy through the dissemination of false content. But a Telegram statement also said: "Any requests related to political censorship or limiting human rights such as the rights to free speech or assembly are not and will not be considered." The group’s featured image is of a Pepe frog yelling, often referred to as the “REEEEEEE” meme. Pepe the Frog was created back in 2005 by Matt Furie and has since become an internet symbol for meme culture and “degen” culture. Telegram has announced a number of measures aiming to tackle the spread of disinformation through its platform in Brazil. These features are part of an agreement between the platform and the country's authorities ahead of the elections in October.
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