Telegram To Provide More User Data To Governments

Telegram has reportedly updated its privacy policy, and the company will now provide user data, including IP addresses and phone numbers, to law enforcement agencies in response to a valid legal order. In a post on Telegram on Monday, CEO Pavel Durov said that the platform changed its terms of service to deter criminals from abusing it.

Pavel Durov, who was arrested and interviewed by French prosecutors recently over suspected criminal activity on the platform, also said that a team of moderators aided by AI has identified and removed “problematic content” from Telegram's search feature. "We won’t let bad actors jeopardize the integrity of our platform for almost a billion users," the 39-year-old chief executive said. Durov said that Telegram’s search feature “has been abused by people who violated our terms of service to sell illegal goods.”

The latest change marks a major departure from Telegram’s previously staunch stance on user privacy. BBC, citing 404 Media, reported that before the latest policy expansion, Telegram would only supply information on terror suspects. Meanwhile, Ukraine has recently banned government and military officials from using the Telegram on state-issued devices due to concerns about Russian surveillance.