Siphiwe Dlamini
Pavel Durov, CEO and co-founder of Telegram, disclosed on Wednesday that the messaging platform has been cooperating with legal authorities for several years, sharing information about criminal activities in line with privacy policies. This revelation comes as Durov continues to face legal challenges in France, where he has been detained since late August.
The Russian entrepreneur, who built Telegram with a reputation for privacy and security, has recently been at the centre of controversy following his arrest in Paris. He faces several charges, including allegations that the platform was used to facilitate organized crime, and accusations of his refusal to collaborate with French law enforcement.
In recent weeks, Telegram introduced updates to its Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, clarifying the circumstances under which the platform shares user information with authorities. Durov explained that these changes were primarily designed to make the policy more transparent. The updates emphasise that Telegram will provide user data, including IP addresses and phone numbers, in response to legally valid requests, specifically when users are found to be violating the platform’s rules.
In a post shared on his channel, Durov clarified that the policy revision does not reflect a significant change in Telegram’s operations. The platform, he said, had already been sharing data related to criminal activities when legally obligated.
“Since 2018, Telegram has been able to disclose IP addresses/phone numbers of criminals to authorities, according to our Privacy Policy in most countries,”
Durov stated. He highlighted that Telegram only complies with requests that follow proper legal procedures, verifying each one before disclosing any data.
Telegram’s cooperation with authorities extends beyond Europe. Durov pointed to Brazil and India as examples, noting that in Brazil alone, Telegram had responded to over 200 legal requests since the beginning of the year, while in India, nearly 7,000 requests were handled over the same period.
The increase in legal requests from European Union authorities, Durov suggested, could be attributed to a more consistent use of the official communication channels set up for such exchanges. He assured users that the recent policy adjustments were made to enhance clarity and ensure uniform application, not to introduce new practices.
“We’ve always strived to comply with relevant local laws – as long as they didn’t go against our values of freedom and privacy,”
Durov remarked. He reiterated Telegram’s commitment to its founding principles, stating that the platform was created to safeguard users from unjust governments and corporations while ensuring that criminals do not misuse it to evade justice.
Durov’s recent legal woes began when he was detained upon his arrival at a Paris airport in late August. Although he was released on bail several days later, he now faces 12 criminal charges, including serious accusations such as facilitating the distribution of child pornography, enabling drug trafficking, and involvement in money laundering. These allegations have raised concerns over Telegram’s content moderation policies, with critics accusing the platform of being too lenient on harmful activities.
However, Durov has consistently denied the charges, arguing that Telegram actively works to strike a balance between privacy and security.
“Telegram has always strived to work with state regulators to establish the right balance between privacy and security,”
he said, defending the platform’s commitment to removing illegal content.
He further pointed out that Telegram takes down vast quantities of harmful material every day, including the removal of “millions of harmful posts and channels.” The platform also publishes “daily transparency reports” detailing actions taken to address the dissemination of illegal content.
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