Telegram Will Share User Data With Authorities for Criminal Investigations
In a significant policy reversal, Telegram has announced it will now share users’ IP addresses and phone numbers with authorities in response to valid legal requests. The move is aimed at curbing criminal activity on the platform, which has long been criticized for enabling illicit behavior. “We’ve made it clear that the IP addresses and phone numbers of those who violate our rules can be disclosed to relevant authorities,” Telegram CEO Pavel Durov said in a post, signaling a shift in the app’s privacy policy.
Telegram has updated its Terms of Service to reflect these changes. The company now explicitly states that if it receives a valid legal request confirming a user is a suspect in criminal activities violating the platform’s rules, it will perform a legal analysis of the request and may disclose the user’s IP address and phone number. This marks a departure from its previous policy, which only allowed data sharing for cases involving terror suspects.
In addition to data sharing, Telegram has also introduced new tools to tackle problematic content. The platform has updated its search feature to remove illegal material from search results. Users can now report illegal search terms or content via the SearchReport bot, which will be reviewed by a human moderation team. Telegram will include details of data disclosures in its periodic transparency reports, which will also highlight how it collects metadata, such as IP addresses and usage history, to fight spam and abuse.
This policy change represents a major shift for Telegram, which has long resisted regulating its platform, making it a hub for cybercrime, drug trafficking, child pornography, and money laundering. The changes were reportedly influenced by the arrest of Telegram’s CEO, Pavel Durov, in France over allegations of the company’s negligence in addressing criminal activities on the platform. Additionally, the Ukrainian government recently announced a ban on Telegram use by government officials and military personnel, citing national security risks.
