Telegram alters privacy policy, says it will give user info to authorities

Sep 24

Lauren Taylor Anchor/Reporter

By Lauren Taylor (Anchor/Reporter), Jack Henry (Video Editor)

This report was created with support from enhanced software.

Telegram is making major changes. The social media platform once known for its strong privacy stance has announced a significant update in its user data policy.

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The platform will now share users’ phone numbers and IP addresses with law enforcement agencies in response to valid legal requests, marking a departure from its previous approach.

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To maintain transparency, Telegram plans to publish quarterly reports detailing instances where user data is shared with authorities.

These changes come after French authorities arrested CEO Pavel Durov in August. Paris prosecutors have levied 12 offenses against Durov, including allegations of allowing child exploitation and drug trafficking and refusing to cooperate with authorities investigating criminal activities on Telegram.

There have also been growing national security questions. Ukraine’s National Coordination Centre for Cybersecurity (NCCC) has banned Telegram on all government, military, and critical infrastructure devices, citing national security concerns.

In response to mounting pressure, Durov also announced that Telegram, aided by artificial intelligence, will remove problematic content from the platform’s search feature.

Telegram’s recent decision to share user data with authorities has sparked widespread concern among its user base of nearly a billion users worldwide.

Tags: Emmanuel Macron, France, Russia, Telegram, Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Lauren Taylor

TELEGRAM IS MAKING MAJOR CHANGES.

THE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM ONCE KNOWN FOR ITS STRONG PRIVACY STANCE — ANNOUNCING A SIGNIFICANT UPDATE IN ITS USER DATA POLICY.

THE PLATFORM WILL NOW SHARE USERS’ PHONE NUMBERS AND I-P ADDRESSES WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES IN RESPONSE TO VALID LEGAL REQUESTS, MARKING A DEPARTURE FROM ITS PREVIOUS APPROACH.

AND TO MAINTAIN TRANSPARENCY, TELEGRAM PLANS TO PUBLISH QUARTERLY REPORTS DETAILING INSTANCES WHERE USER DATA IS SHARED WITH AUTHORITIES.

THE CHANGES COME AFTER FRENCH AUTHORITIES ARRESTED CEO PAVEL DUROV IN AUGUST.

PARIS PROSECUTORS HAVE LEVIED 12 OFFENSES AGAINST DUROV, INCLUDING ALLEGATIONS OF ALLOWING CHILD EXPLOITATION AND DRUG TRAFFICKING AND REFUSING TO COOPERATE WITH AUTHORITIES INVESTIGATING CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES ON TELEGRAM.

THERE HAVE ALSO BEEN GROWING NATIONAL SECURITY QUESTIONS. UKRAINE’S NATIONAL COORDINATION CENTRE FOR CYBERSECURITY (NCCC) HAS BANNED TELEGRAM ON ALL GOVERNMENT, MILITARY, AND CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE DEVICES, CITING NATIONAL SECURITY CONCERNS.

IN RESPONSE TO MOUNTING PRESSURE, DUROV ALSO ANNOUNCED TELEGRAM, AIDED BY ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, WILL REMOVE PROBLEMATIC CONTENT FROM THE PLATFORM’S SEARCH FEATURE.

TELEGRAM’S RECENT DECISION TO SHARE USER DATA WITH AUTHORITIES HAS SPARKED WIDESPREAD CONCERN AMONG ITS USER BASE OF NEARLY A BILLION USERS WORLDWIDE.