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Telegram to Share User Data with Law Enforcement, CEO Durov Confirms

Highlights

Telegram will now provide users’ IP addresses and phone numbers to law enforcement.
The aim is to curb criminal activity and respond to valid legal requests.
CEO Pavel Durov announced the update.

Telegram to share ‘bad’ users’ IP addresses and phone numbers to authorities. (Image Credit – AFP)

Telegram will now provide users’ IP addresses and phone numbers to law enforcement in response, according to CEO Pavel Durov. This is a major shift from the popular messaging app’s earlier position on user privacy.

The policy change is to curb criminal activity on the platform and in response to valid legal requests.

Durov took to Telegram to announce this update this week. The CEO explained that the platform’s terms of service were updated to prevent increasing abusive activities on the platform.

“If Telegram receives a valid order from the relevant judicial authorities that confirms you’re a suspect in a case involving criminal activities that violate the Telegram Terms of Service, we will perform a legal analysis of the request and may disclose your IP address and phone number to the relevant authorities,” the updated privacy policy states.

Announcing the policy change, Durov said, “While 99.999% of Telegram users have nothing to do with crime, the 0.001% involved in illicit activities create a bad image for the entire platform, putting the interests of our almost billion users at risk.”

It is significant to note that the recent policy changes in Telegram came just weeks after Durov was arrested in France. Durov, the Russian business executive and entrepreneur, faces charges related to the spread of child abuse content on the app.

Message sent from Pavel Durov’s Telegram channel |image Credit: Pavel Durov on Telegram

Durov has denied these charges.

“Telegram’s abrupt increase in user count to 950M caused growing pains that made it easier for criminals to abuse our platform. That’s why I’ve made it my personal goal to ensure we significantly improve in this regard,” Durov wrote on his Telegram channel.

Telegram has been notorious for resisting regulations and denying government requests for user data in the past. The platform has been often under the lens for its lax moderation policies.

It has often ignored requests from authorities, particularly around criminal investigations.

However, Durov has now confirmed that the company will be working with renewed efforts to prevent the misuse of the platform. He further announced that Telegram will be using Artificial Intelligence (AI) along with human moderators to hide problematic content from search results.

Since his arrest in France, Telegram has implemented several new measures.

Earlier this month, the platform disabled new media uploads. This was done to prevent bots and scammers from exploiting the platform.

Telegram has previously faced criticism from governments around the world, including in the European Union, Russia, and Iran. The platform has been under the radar of law enforcement agencies in many countries for its role in enabling unlawful activities.

As of now, Durov remains under investigation in France.

FAQs

Q1. What new policy has Telegram implemented regarding user data?

Answer. Telegram will now provide users’ IP addresses and phone numbers to law enforcement in response to valid legal requests, aiming to curb criminal activity on the platform.

Q2. Why did Telegram decide to change its privacy policy?

Answer. CEO Pavel Durov announced the change to prevent abusive activities and improve the platform’s reputation, as a small percentage of users involved in illicit activities were harming the image of the entire platform.

Q3. What measures has Telegram taken recently to improve platform security?

Answer. Following Durov’s arrest in France, Telegram has disabled new media uploads to prevent bot and scammer exploitation and is using AI along with human moderators to hide problematic content from search results.