Telegram, the messaging app famed for its privacy absolutism, is amending its terms of service to say that it can now share user data with the authorities in certain circumstances.
Specifically, Telegram will be able to disclose IP addresses and phone numbers where requested to do so by court order in situations where there is a suspicion of criminal activity.
The move comes in the wake of last month’s arrest of Telegram CEO and co-founder Pavel Durov in France, where he faced charges implicating him in illicit activities taking place on the platform.
“These Measures Should Discourage Criminals”
Durov posted on his own channel on the platform that Telegram has been taking steps in the last few weeks to make it much safer.
As well as using a team of moderators and AI tools to identify and remove “problematic content,” he also confirmed that Telegram had amended its terms of services.
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To deter criminals, he said, the terms have been updated so that the privacy policy now makes it clear that “the IP addresses and phone numbers of those who violate our rules can be disclosed to relevant authorities.”
“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.” – Telegram Privacy Policy
“Telegram Search is meant for finding friends and discovering news,” Durov’s post reads, “not for promoting illicit goods.”
Durov Arrested in August
Telegram has built its reputation as a safe messaging platform with a commitment to securing the encrypted communications of its users. This has helped it build a user base of over 950 million people worldwide, with many ditching the Meta-owned WhatsApp service in favor of Telegram.
However, this means that Telegram has developed a reputation as a safe haven for criminals as well.
This perception contributed to Durov’s arrest in France on August 24th. The Russian entrepreneur has also held citizenship there since 2021 and was held for complicity in managing an online platform to allow illicit transactions by an organized group – a crime that can carry sentences of up to 10 years in prison and €500,000 fine.
What’s Next for Telegram Users?
In a previous post, Durov said that he was committed to putting the interests of the vast majority of his users over “the 0.001% involved in illicit activities.”
“We won’t let bad actors jeopardize the integrity of our platform for almost a billion users.” – Pavel Durov, CEO of Telegram
But it remains to be seen whether the change to the terms of service will now prompt some users to find another messaging platform to use.
Several commentators responding to the news on X, formerly Twitter, voicing concerns that their personal privacy might be diluted by the move and suggested that the way forward might be a decentralized privacy app.
