Telegram deleted all public addresses of channels not used over the year, Founder of the messenger Pavel Durov wrote in his Telegram channel.
"In mid-August, we withdrew all public Telegram addresses linked to channels that were empty or inactive for the last year," Durov noted.
"We will gradually reintroduce 99% of these addresses into public use, this time with algorithmic and geolocation limitations so that more users, and not just a select few, can benefit," he said.
Inactive channels "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," the messenger founder added.