[NayamAmarshe]

It's not gaslighting if they have analytics to back the claim.

https://t.me/durov/195

> Until recently, 70% of all Telegram usernames had been reserved in inactive channels by cybersquatters from Iran. This created a graveyard of dead usernames that cluttered search results and prevented millions of Telegram users from selecting appropriate public addresses for their accounts, groups and channels.

[ls15]

Like with every other social media platform, this is not an actual issue.

If the username that I would like to have is taken, I can pick another name that is not taken.

It is not unreasonable to take a 3 month break from a messenger app.

Search results don't have to prioritize inactive channels.

Just pulling the rug on people for money makes Telegram look very unreliable.

Compare this to how it works on reddit: people can request to take over a dead subreddit as a mod, but it requires that the subreddit has been dead for at least six months and they will try to contact the previous mod first and only transfer it to the requester if that fails. At no cost.