Durov says Telegram now sharing details with multiple governments
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Telegram CEO Pavel Durov stated that the platform has been sharing criminal information with authorities for six years and emphasized that recent policy updates do not signify a major change in operations.
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The logo for the Telegram messaging app is seen on a notebook screen in Munich, Germany, October 17, 2022. (AP)
Telegram CEO Pavel Durov announced on Wednesday that the messaging service has been adhering to privacy policies in multiple countries and has been sharing information about criminals with authorities for the past six years.
Last month, Durov, a co-founder of the company, introduced updates to the platform's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, emphasizing that IP addresses and phone numbers of those who "violate" the app’s rules "can be disclosed to relevant authorities in response to valid legal requests."
In a subsequent section on his channel, Durov clarified that the new policy represents no “major shift” in how the platform operates. He stressed that the messenger application had already been sharing details of criminals who misuse it with the appropriate authorities.
“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 explained, adding that whenever the platform receives a “properly formed legal request via relevant communication lines,” it verifies it and shares the IP addresses/phone numbers of dangerous criminals.
It is important to remark that the Russian tech billionaire has been unable to leave France since his arrest in Paris in late August, where he faced multiple charges, including operating a platform used for organized crime and failing to cooperate with French authorities.
Telegram cooperation with France led to requests from other nations
Telegram's cooperation with France's justice system after the arrest of its founder, Pavel Durov, has resulted in other countries requesting information from the platform as part of the cybercrime investigation, Le Figaro newspaper reported on September 21.
The instant messaging platform's cooperation with France benefits all countries that are members of the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation (Eurojust), the paper wrote.
The report added that one of the Eurojust members successfully received a response to its requests concerning a Telegram group that orchestrated around 100 murders, while "a major international power" also sought to take advantage of Telegram's willingness to cooperate.
Additionally, other nations, including South Korea, are in the process of registering their cases against the instant messaging platform in the French justice system.
Telegram started responding to investigators' requests and providing information "capable of identifying criminals in investigations of crimes against children" after Durov's arrest, according to the Liberation daily.
