BERLIN: Germany could shut down Telegram if the messenger service popular with far-right groups and people opposed to pandemic-related restrictions continues to violate German law, Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said in remarks published on Wednesday.

"We cannot rule this out," she told Die Zeit weekly. "A shutdown would be grave and clearly a last resort. All other options must be exhausted first."

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She added that Germany was discussing with its partners in the European Union how to regulate Telegram.