# TGDataset: a Collection of Over One Hundred Thousand Telegram Channels

**Authors:** Massimo La Morgia, Alessandro Mei, Alberto Maria Mongardini  
**arXiv:** [2303.05345](https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.05345)  
**Date:** 2023-03-09  
**Summary page:** https://www.summarizepaper.com/en/paper/2303.05345v1/

## Key points

- Telegram channels serve as a medium for broadcasting content to a large audience, including important announcements like COVID-19 updates.
- The platform is used for disseminating radical ideologies and coordinating attacks, such as the Capitol Hill riot.
- The TGDataset is introduced as the largest collection of 120,979 Telegram channels with over 400 million messages.
- The dataset analysis includes examining languages spoken within the dataset and topics covered by English channels.
- The potential utility of the TGDataset in understanding Telegram dynamics and studying how questionable news spreads is highlighted.
- Specific use cases where the dataset can be valuable are discussed.
- Scripts used for dataset analysis are shared, along with a list of channels associated with a new conspiracy theory called Sabmyk.

## Summary

The paper "TGDataset: a Collection of Over One Hundred Thousand Telegram Channels" by Massimo La Morgia, Alessandro Mei, and Alberto Maria Mongardini delves into the role of Telegram as a popular instant messaging app in today's digital age. The authors highlight how Telegram channels serve as a medium for broadcasting content to a large audience, including important announcements such as COVID-19 updates. They also acknowledge the platform's darker side, noting its use in disseminating radical ideologies and coordinating attacks like the Capitol Hill riot. The researchers introduce the TGDataset, which is described as the largest collection of 120,979 Telegram channels containing over 400 million messages known to date. They detail their data collection process and analyze the languages spoken within the dataset, as well as the topics covered by English channels. The potential utility of this dataset in understanding the dynamics of the Telegram ecosystem and studying how questionable news spreads through it is emphasized. In addition to providing insights into Telegram usage patterns, the paper discusses specific use cases where the TGDataset can be valuable. The authors also share scripts used for dataset analysis and provide a list of channels associated with a new conspiracy theory called Sabmyk. Overall, this research contributes to our understanding of how communication platforms like Telegram can both facilitate information dissemination and pose challenges related to radicalization and misinformation.