TELEGRAM: Durov Reveals App Set To Provide User Data To Authorities
Your data from the popular messaging app Telegram, including your phone number and IP address, may soon be available to authorities.
According to CEO Pavel Durov, Telegram updated its privacy terms of service to reflect the new direction in an effort to discourage criminals.
According to the updated terms of service, Telegram will surrender a user’s IP address and phone number if they receive a valid order from relevant judicial authorities, particularly if the case involves a violation of the platform’s terms of service.
Durov stated that, while the majority of Telegram users did not engage in illegal activity on the platform, a small percentage did pose a threat.
“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,” he observed.
🚨 NEW: Telegram updates their Terms of Service to announce they’ll now comply with police requests and give up your phone number, IP address, and other information when asked. This is following Pavel Durov’s recent arrest and release. End of an era. 😔 pic.twitter.com/NbYBEkJhfi
— Autism Capital 🧩 (@AutismCapital) September 23, 2024
Aside from the IP address, the service could collect a user’s history of username changes, devices, and Telegram apps used.
The updated terms of service primarily target terrorist suspects.
Durov and his brother Nikolai founded Telegram in 2013, initially as a messaging app focused on speed and security.
Initially, the app intended to have as little government interference as possible.
Durov was arrested in August 2024 and charged with facilitating criminal activity on his platform. He has since claimed that the charges were “misguided”.
With the platform reaching 950 million active users, Durov admitted that one of the most difficult challenges was balancing privacy and security.
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“That’s why I made it my personal goal to ensure we significantly improve things in this regard,” he said.
“We’ve already started that process internally, and I will share more details on our progress with you very soon.”
Kenya has an estimated 15.6 million Telegram users, and the app is rapidly gaining popularity in the country.
Due to security concerns, countries such as Ukraine have prohibited government officials, military personnel, and other defense and critical infrastructure workers from using Telegram.
TELEGRAM: Durov Reveals App Set To Provide User Data To Authorities
