What happened?
According to the latest data released by Telegram, the platform provided user data for more than 2,000 users to U.S. authorities last year.
Independent media (404 Media) pointed out that after Telegram CEO Pavel Durov was arrested in France in August, Telegram began to change its policies and largely complied with law enforcement's requests for user data.
After the arrest incident, several cybercriminals stated that they would quit Telegram, and some even created backup accounts on other messaging services like Signal.
In 2024, Telegram provided over 2,000 user data to the U.S.
With over 950 million active users, the messaging app Telegram has attracted attention for being a breeding ground for various criminal activities. According to the latest data released by Telegram, the platform provided user data for more than 2,000 users to U.S. authorities last year.
Independent media (404 Media) pointed out that after Telegram CEO Pavel Durov was arrested in France in August, Telegram began to change its policies and largely complied with law enforcement's requests for user data.
Telegram's Transparency Reports bot reported that from January 1 to September 30, 2024, the platform responded to only 14 requests for user data from the U.S., affecting 108 users. However, looking at the entire data for 2024, Telegram responded to a total of 900 requests from the U.S., representing a surge in numbers from October to December, affecting a total of 2,253 users.
(404 Media) stated that the information displayed by the bot is: 'Number of requests related to IP addresses and/or phone numbers made by the U.S. has been satisfied: 900. Affected users: 2,253.'
Image source: Digital Times Telegram CEO Pavel Durov
The new balance point of Telegram
In fact, after Durov's arrest, Telegram updated its privacy policy, and the platform will provide user data, including IP addresses and phone numbers, to law enforcement based on valid legal orders. Prior to that, its privacy policy only mentioned that data would be provided in cases involving 'terrorism' and claimed that this had never happened.
After the arrest incident, several cybercriminals stated that they would quit Telegram, and some even created backup accounts on other messaging services like Signal.
Telegram, with over 950 million monthly active users, initially pursued the spirit of freedom and rejection of control, but thus became a breeding ground for many illegal activities, drawing significant attention from other countries.
Durov revealed in an exclusive interview that he chose to set up Telegram's headquarters in Dubai to distance himself from the control of various governments. Durov stated that his mission is to create a platform that allows people to express their opinions freely.
However, from the French arrest operation and policy adjustments, it can be seen that Telegram has to find a new balance between privacy protection and compliance with legal requirements, which will also be a major challenge the platform has to face.
This article is reprinted with permission from: (Web3+)
Original author: Li Pengrui
Original title: (Has Telegram softened? Over 2,000 user data provided to the U.S. in 2024, is the spirit of 'pursuing freedom' still there?)
The article 'Has Telegram softened? Over 2,000 user data provided to the U.S. in 2024, is the spirit of freedom still there?' was first published on 'Crypto City'