Telegram has announced a new policy that will allow the company to share users’ IP addresses and phone numbers with authorities when presented with a valid search warrant or legal request.
This significant change is aimed at curbing criminal activities on the messaging platform, Telegram CEO Pavel Durov said on Monday.
“While 99.999% of Telegram users have nothing to do with crime, the 0.001% involved in illicit activities create a bad image for the entire platform, putting the interests of our almost billion users at risk,” Durov explained in a post.
This decision marks a major shift for Durov, who co-founded the platform and has long positioned Telegram as a strong advocate of privacy and free speech.
His arrest by French authorities last month, however, has intensified scrutiny on the platform. Durov, who denies charges of enabling criminal activity, was accused of facilitating the spread of child abuse images and drug trafficking, as well as failing to comply with law enforcement requests.
The move has sparked concern among critics who argue that Telegram has become a breeding ground for harmful content, including misinformation, child pornography, and terror-related material.
Telegram’s ability to host groups of up to 200,000 members has been compared to WhatsApp, which limits group sizes to 1,000.
Recently, the platform faced criticism for hosting far-right channels that contributed to unrest in English cities.
This shift has left some questioning whether Telegram will now comply with requests from authorities in repressive regimes, particularly as the platform has been widely used by political dissidents in countries such as Russia, Belarus, and the Middle East.
Cybersecurity experts note that while Telegram has previously removed some illegal content, it lacks the robust moderation systems seen on other platforms.
Telegram’s new measures, including the use of artificial intelligence to hide problematic content from search results, may not be enough to meet legal requirements, particularly in Europe and France, where stricter laws govern the handling of illegal content.
With the platform now facing increased pressure, some wonder if these changes will satisfy authorities or if further actions will be required to address legal concerns.
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