The messaging app Telegram has agreed to disclose users’ phone numbers and IP addresses to law enforcement agencies in response to “valid legal requests.” CEO Pavel Durov, who was arrested last month in France and charged with offenses of complicity and refusing to cooperate, posted on his Telegram channel on Monday, saying the change to the terms of service “should discourage criminals.” Durov stated that while the majority of Telegram users have nothing to do with crime, the small percentage involved in illicit activities create a negative image for the entire platform. It is unclear if Durov made these concessions due to pressure from French authorities. French lawyer Maud Marian suggested that Durov could wait up to 10 years for his trial as the Paris prosecutor’s office sought information from him. However, Sadry Porlon, another Paris-based lawyer specializing in information technology law, disagreed with this assessment.
Porlon stated that either Telegram did not genuinely refuse communication or Durov and his team were unaware of the requested information. Porlon believed that a decision would be reached soon and not take 10 years. Whether these changes in Telegram’s terms of service will lead to dropped charges against Durov remains uncertain. In a previous statement released on September 6th, Durov called the charges against him misguided but denied claims that Telegram was an “anarchic paradise.” However, in his recent message on his Telegram channel, he took a less confrontational tone.
Durov explained that their search tool had been abused by individuals violating their terms of service by selling illegal goods. He emphasized efforts made by moderators using AI technology to make Telegram Search safer by removing problematic content identified through this process. Users were encouraged to report any unsafe or illegal content found through search.
To deter criminals further from abusing Telegram Search, they updated their terms of service and privacy policy globally. The updated policies state that IP addresses and phone numbers can be disclosed upon valid legal requests for those who violate their rules.
While it may not be controversial for Telegram to hand over user data related to drug dealers or those trading illegal items like child abuse images, concerns arise regarding investigations into controversial comments. In Britain, individuals have faced prosecution for comments made on social media platforms during riots following a tragic incident involving three children near Liverpool.
Telegram has faced criticism for spreading misinformation due partly its large channels accommodating up 200k members compared WhatsApp’s limit at 1k members owned by Meta (formerly facebook). Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer referred to it as an “app of choice for extremists” back in 2021 when he was still UK prime ministerial candidate.
Telegram has been used by extremist groups such as ISIS as well as drug traffickers and pedophiles; however,the company claims compliance with all E
