Pavel Durov, CEO of Telegram, announced that the messaging app will begin turning over users’ IP addresses and phone numbers in response to legal requests. Telegram has already been unresponsive to past takedown requests and has frequently disregarded inquiries about suspected criminals.
Back in August, Durov was arrested in France at Bourget Airport, located outside of Paris, as part of a preliminary investigation surrounding the lack of moderation safeguards allowing criminal activity to flourish on the messaging app. Although he has denied the allegations, he was released on bail but remains in Paris as he’s prohibited from leaving the country for the ongoing investigation.
In a Telegram post, Durov stated that the company is implementing the changes to deter criminals from exploiting the app’s search function. While Telegram’s search feature enables users to find public channels and bots, Durov noted that it has been misused by individuals to sell illegal goods. As per its updated privacy policy page:
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. If any data is shared, we will include such occurrences in a quarterly transparency report published at: https://t.me/transparency.
Telegram is now enhancing its moderation practices by integrating AI technology alongside a human moderation team to filter out problematic content from search results. Durov has encouraged users to report unsafe and illegal material so that it can be promptly addressed.
While the new measures allow for the collection of IP addresses and phone numbers, Telegram still offers features that augment user anonymity, such as disappearing messages, end-to-end encryption, and the option to use the service without a SIM card. The company continues to emphasise its commitment to user privacy, claiming it has never shared user messages with third parties, including governments.
(Source: Bloomberg, Engadget, The Verge)
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