Following the arrest and subsequent release of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov in France, his Telegram channel shared that the messaging platform had updated its terms of service and privacy policy. Under the changes, the platform may disclose the IP addresses and phone numbers of users who violate the law or Telegram's rules "to the competent authorities."
IP addresses and phone numbers of Telegram violators will be disclosed to authorities
On Monday, Telegram CEO Pavel Durov announced via his channel that the platform had updated its privacy policy and terms of service. The 39-year-old French-Russian was arrested on August 24 and faces charges of facilitating criminal activity, including drug trafficking, fraud, distributing pornography, and money laundering. After posting bail of 5 million euros ($5.5 million), Durov was released and spoke publicly in early September, discussing the steps taken by French authorities.
Two weeks later, Durov's Telegram channel outlined recent updates to the platform. He noted that, over the past few weeks, a dedicated team of moderators has been keeping an eye out for problematic content. To streamline their work, the team has also turned to artificial intelligence (AI). As a result, Telegram's search system has been restricted, making harmful content "no longer accessible." However, users are encouraged to report any illegal material they come across through the platform's Search Report channel.
“To prevent criminals from abusing Telegram Search, we have updated our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy to ensure they are consistent across the globe,” the statement said. “We have made it clear that the IP addresses and phone numbers of those who violate our rules may be disclosed to authorities in response to valid legal requests.” The privacy policy states that metadata may be retained for up to 12 months.
Telegram insists that these steps will prevent criminal activity. “Telegram Search is intended to find friends and discover news, not promote illegal goods,” the company said. The statement ended with a firm stance: “We will not let bad actors jeopardize the integrity of our platform for nearly a billion users.”
What do you think about Telegram's new privacy policy and ToS? Please share your thoughts and opinions on this topic in the comments section below.
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