Telegram bows down and agrees to share user data with authorities after CEO's arrest

Telegram, the renowned encrypted messaging platform, announced a radical shift in its privacy policy by deciding to share its users' data with authorities to combat illegal activities on the platform. This drastic change was announced following the arrest of its founder and CEO, Pavel Durov, in France last month.

As reported by Decrypt, the app is making substantial modifications to tackle digital crime. In a statement, Durov revealed that as part of the new policies, Telegram will provide data such as IP addresses and phone numbers to authorities when rule violations or criminal acts are detected.

Durov's arrest

Durov was arrested last month in France. This marked a turning point in the relationship between the app and law enforcement. French authorities accuse Telegram of failing to cooperate with police requests. Although Durov was released after posting more than $5 million of bail, he remains under judicial surveillance. He is facing additional investigations, including allegations related to unauthorized use of cryptocurrency in the country.

Through his personal Telegram channel, Durov spoke out against his arrest, calling it unfair to hold him responsible for crimes committed by other users on the platform. "The usual practice is for legal action to be directed against the service, not its CEO," Durov said. He added that charging an executive under outdated laws is not an appropriate approach in the modern era of smartphones and encrypted apps.

Durov defended Telegram's mission of facilitating a way for friends to connect while providing a safe space for information. He claimed the company doesn’t want to encourage criminal activity. In his statement, he assured that Telegram is implementing artificial intelligence to improve the security of searches within the app, proactively blocking attempts to share illegal content. "Users who continue to violate our policies may see their IP addresses and phone numbers turned over to authorities, in response to appropriate legal requests," he warned.

With close to 1 billion global users, Telegram has made a name for itself by offering an encrypted platform for private communications. However, this very strength has attracted malicious users who take advantage of the anonymity to sell drugs, perform financial fraud and share illegal material, which has raised concerns among authorities.