Telegram CEO says user data will be provided to authorities if requested

Telegram will now hand over the data of users who violate their rules when requested by authorities, CEO Pavel Durov announced Monday.

The changes come nearly a month after Durov was detained and indicted by French authorities after allegedly refusing to work with authorities investigating criminal acts on the messaging app.

Durov, in a statement posted to his Telegram account Monday, said the platform updated its service and privacy policy to ensure they are “consistent across the world.”

“We’ve made it clear that the IP addresses and phone numbers of those who violate our rules can be disclosed to relevant authorities in response to valid legal requests,” he wrote. “These measures should discourage criminals. Telegram Search is meant for finding friends and discovering news, not for promoting illegal goods. We won’t let bad actors jeopardize the integrity of our platform for almost a billion users.”

Durov acknowledged Telegram’s search feature has been “abused” by individuals to sell illegal goods. To combat this, the platform’s moderators began using artificial intelligence to filter out content deemed unsafe or illegal, Durov said.

Durov, a dual citizen of France and Russia, is facing six charges, alleging “complicity” in the distribution of child sexual abuse materials, illicit transactions, money laundering and drug trafficking allegedly taking place on the messaging app, according to Paris prosecutors.

When law enforcement requested information or documents related to the illicit activities, Durov allegedly refused to meet their requests, per prosecutors.

He spent days in police custody for questioning last month and was eventually placed under judicial supervision after posting 5 million euros for bail.

His arrest placed the platform under an international microscope and spurred allegations it is allowing criminal activity to take place on the app.

In a statement following Durov’s arrest last month, Telegram said it abides by the European Union’s laws and its moderation is “within industry standards and constantly improving.”

“It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner are responsible for abuse of that platform,” Telegram said. “Almost a billion users globally use Telegram as means of communication and as a source of vital information. We’re awaiting a prompt resolution of this situation. Telegram is with you all.”

About two weeks after his arrest, Durov said he was “surprised” he was taken into custody, while also acknowledging the app’s “abrupt increase” in users made it easier for criminals to use the platform for illicit activity.

Durov’s arrest also prompted concerns over free speech and the privacy of users’ content.  Telegram cannot be directly compared to many U.S. social media platforms due to differences in security protocols, experts told The Hill last month, though some noted the tech CEO’s arrest still raises potential concerns for U.S. tech companies operating abroad as European countries ramp up regulations.

Telegram offers users the option to send messages with end-to-end encryption, along with large group chats with as many as 200,000 users. Meta’s WhatsApp has a maximum of 1,024 users.