Telegram is transferring more data to the government

Telegram has adjusted its rules and is working more closely with judicial authorities. According to Pavel Durov, CEO and founder of Telegram.

Telegram is now transferring IP addresses and mobile phone numbers from criminal suspects to judicial authorities, when asked. Durov reveals this on his Telegram channel. It's a significant change, as Telegram had always been proud that it never complied with government requests regarding user data.

The messaging service, founded in 2013, has never previously shared information about its users freely. Only if a user was convicted of "terrorist activities" was Telegram compelled to share information. However, this is now changing. IP data can now also be shared with authorities as evidence in cases involving suspected criminals.

Arrested in France

The arrest of Durov may be the result of his involvement in the arrest. The Russian-French entrepreneur of Telegram was arrested in August in France and charged with multiple offenses related to his dissemination of content. He is forbidden from leaving the French territory. In a lengthy statement on his platform in September, Durov called it "surprising" to be held responsible for content published by others.

In the meantime, it seems he has begun to clean up his platform. He promised to introduce stronger moderation. Telegram also seems to have removed some channels from the general search function. Users could then buy illegal products through these channels online. Durov said he wanted to discourage criminals with his measures. "We will not allow a few bad users to endanger the integrity of our platform for almost a billion users," he wrote.