Telegram to share user data with authorities in crime crackdown following CEO arrest

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Telegram has announced it will begin sharing user data with authorities as part of a broader effort to crack down on illegal activities. The move follows the arrest of the company’s CEO, Pavel Durov, and it marks a turning point for a platform that has long been recognized for its commitment to privacy and encrypted messaging.

Durov made the announcement, explaining that the decision was prompted by increasing abuse of Telegram’s Search function. This powerful tool allows users to find public channels and bots, but recently, it has been exploited to sell illegal goods, violating Telegram’s Terms of Service.

Durov noted that, over the past few weeks, a dedicated team of moderators, bolstered by AI, has made significant improvements to Telegram Search.

 “All the problematic content we identified in Search is no longer accessible,” Durov said.

Despite these efforts, some illegal activities may still slip through the cracks, and users are encouraged to report any unsafe content via @SearchReport.

The company has updated its Terms of Service and Privacy Policy globally to align with this crackdown. One key change is that the IP addresses and phone numbers of users who violate Telegram’s rules can now be shared with relevant authorities upon valid legal requests.

“Telegram Search is meant for finding friends and discovering news, not for promoting illegal goods,” Durov emphasized.

These stricter measures, the company hopes, will deter bad actors from abusing the platform and preserve its integrity for its nearly one billion users.

This shift may raise concerns among users who value Telegram’s privacy features, but the company stresses that the policy update is targeted at those who engage in illegal activities, not ordinary users.

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