Telegram starts handing over suspicious users' data to authorities
Pavel Durov, CEO of instant messaging platform Telegram, announced that the platform will now start handing over users' phone numbers and device (IP) addresses if it receives legal requests to do so.
According to a report published by the American Bloomberg Agency, this change in policy comes after the platform’s long history of not responding to legal requests, and “its continued ignoring of requests to provide information about suspects in crimes.”
The change comes alongside other changes to the platform: Telegram has begun using artificial intelligence, in addition to a human team, to remove “problematic” content from its search results, according to Durov.
Durov asked users to report unsafe and illegal content so that a specialized team can remove it.
It is not known how much these changes will affect Telegram's popularity with people who engage in illegal activities, or the ability of authorities to prosecute such people.
It's worth noting that device IP addresses and phone numbers can be useful for identifying users, their locations, and their activities elsewhere, but Telegram users can opt for several layers of anonymity features such as disappearing messages, end-to-end encryption, or the ability to use the service without a SIM card.
Telegram still claims on its official website that it “has not yet disclosed any user messages to third parties, including governments.”
In August, the Telegram founder was arrested in France and charged with several counts, including complicity in “administering an online platform to enable illegal transactions within an organized group” and “failing to provide information or documents necessary for legal investigations.” If convicted, Durov could face up to 10 years in prison, according to French law.
Durov was banned from leaving France and required to report to police twice a week after being released on bail of €5 million, with the charges against him still under investigation.