Popular messenger Telegram updated its terms of service to curb “bad actors” who “jeopardised the integrity” of the platform, its creator Pavel Durov announced.
Durov stated on Monday that Telegram would now disclose IP addresses and phone numbers of users who violated the app’s rules to the relevant authorities “in response to valid legal requests.” Previously, the app was only obliged to disclose data if it received a court order confirming that a user was suspected of terrorism.
The new policy applies to users suspected of any violation of Telegram’s rules. The company declared that it would “conduct a legal analysis” of a request from authorities before disclosing user data. The updated rules target users who abuse Telegram’s search function to sell illegal items.
Telegram search is meant for finding friends and discovering news, not for promoting illegal goods.
In recent weeks, Telegram moderators used artificial intelligence to make the platform’s search function “much safer.” Telegram’s new privacy policy comes as Durov faces a formal investigation for a number of offences in France, including alleged complicity in the distribution of child pornography and drug sales on the platform.
Law enforcement and security investigators documented in detail illegal activity on Telegram, including recruiting and organising extremist groups. However, Durov’s defenders argued that the creators of social platforms could not be held fully responsible for dishonest activities of all users. Durov later stated:
Telegram’s abrupt increase in user count to 950M caused growing pains that made it easier for criminals to abuse our platform. That’s why I’ve made it my personal goal to ensure we significantly improve in this regard.
