Messaging app Telegram announced it will hand over users’ IP addresses and phone numbers to law enforcement agencies with valid legal requests, including search warrants.
CEO Pavel Durov stated in a Telegram post that this change to the platform’s terms of service aims to “discourage criminals.”
He emphasized that “99.999% of Telegram users have nothing to do with crime,” but the small percentage involved in illicit activities jeopardizes the platform’s reputation and its almost billion users.
This announcement marks a significant shift for Durov, the Russian-born co-founder of Telegram, who faced detention by French authorities last month at an airport near Paris.
Prosecutors charged him with enabling criminal activity on the platform, including complicity in spreading child abuse images and drug trafficking, as well as failing to comply with law enforcement.
Durov has denied these charges and criticized authorities for holding him responsible for crimes committed by third parties on the platform, calling it both “surprising” and “misguided.”
Critics argue that Telegram has become a hub for misinformation, child pornography, and terror-related content, exacerbated by a feature allowing groups of up to 200,000 members.
Telegram to Share User Data with Authorities
In contrast, Meta-owned WhatsApp limits group sizes to 1,000. Telegram also faced scrutiny last month for hosting far-right channels linked to violence in English cities.
Earlier this week, Ukraine banned the app on state-issued devices to mitigate threats posed by Russia.
Durov’s arrest has ignited debates about free-speech protections online. John Scott-Railton, a senior researcher at the University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab, noted that many users now question whether Telegram remains a safe space for political dissidents.
He remarked that Telegram’s previous marketing as a haven from government demands attracted individuals seeking safety in sharing political views, particularly in repressive regions.
While Telegram has removed some extremist groups, cybersecurity experts point out that it lacks robust moderation systems found in competing social media platforms.
Before this announcement, Telegram only provided information on terror suspects, but Durov indicated that the app now employs “a dedicated team of moderators” using artificial intelligence to conceal problematic content in search results.
However, Daphne Keller from Stanford University’s Center for Internet and Society argues that making illegal content harder to find does not comply with French or European legal requirements.
“Anything that Telegram employees can recognize as illegal should be removed entirely,” she stated.
Keller also questioned whether the platform’s new policy changes would adequately satisfy law enforcement demands for information on communication and content related to investigations.
“It sounds like a commitment likely less than what law enforcement wants,” she concluded.
Telegram to Share User Data with Authorities
-BBC NEWS