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Pavel Durov, CEO and co-founder of Telegram, has consented to providing user data in response to legitimate law enforcement requests, Reuters reports. The decision signals a potential change in the platform’s stance on privacy amid growing regulatory pressures.
Telegram has revealed it will share users’ IP addresses and phone numbers with law enforcement if a search warrant or other legitimate legal request is presented, softening its previously rigid privacy safeguards.
CEO Pavel Durov remarked in a Telegram post on Monday that the modifications to the terms of service and privacy policy “should discourage criminals,” aiming to deter unlawful behavior on the platform.
“While 99.999% of Telegram users have nothing to do with crime, the 0.001% involved in illicit activities create a bad image for the entire platform, putting the interests of our almost billion users at risk,” he continued.
The announcement marks a significant reversal for Mr Durov, the platform’s Russian-born co-founder who was detained by French authorities last month at an airport just north of Paris.
Days later, prosecutors there charged him with enabling criminal activity on the platform. Allegations against him include complicity in spreading child abuse images and trafficking of drugs. He was also charged with failing to comply with law enforcement.
Read also: Macron: Arrest Of Telegram Boss Not Politically Driven
Mr Durov, who has denied the charges, lashed out at authorities shortly after his arrest, saying that holding him responsible for crimes committed by third parties on the platform was both “surprising” and “misguided.”
Critics say Telegram has become a hotbed of misinformation, child pornography, and terror-related content partly because of a feature that allows groups to have up to 200,000 members.
Conversely, WhatsApp, owned by Meta, imposes a limit of 1,000 members per group.
Telegram came under fire last month for allowing far-right channels on its platform, which played a role in fostering violence in various English cities.
