Social media platform Telegram’s CEO Pavel Durov stated that the platform will provide users’ IP addresses and phone numbers to government agencies in accordance with valid legal requirements.
Durov announced on Telegram on Monday, September 23, that the platform has updated its terms of service to prevent criminals from abusing it.
Telegram, a popular messaging and social media application similar to WhatsApp, offers end-to-end encrypted messaging to its users, making it difficult for the company and law enforcement agencies to monitor the content discussed on the platform.
Durov mentioned on Monday that the app has started hiding problematic content in search results as part of efforts to prevent misuse. They employ artificial intelligence (AI) and a team of moderators to review hidden content.
Earlier this month, Telegram disabled the feature for uploading new media. Durov stated that this was done to prevent bots and scammers from operating on the platform.
These policy changes from Telegram come shortly after Durov was arrested and charged by the French government.
In late August, Durov was arrested in France. Prosecutors accused him of conspiring to disseminate child sexual abuse material and of Telegram refusing to provide data to law enforcement agencies to assist in legally wiretapping suspects.
Durov was ordered to remain in France during the investigation, and he denied the allegations.
The news of Durov’s arrest and prosecution in France garnered global attention, marking one of the most severe actions taken by a country against a social media executive to date. It may further fuel the debate globally on whether social media platforms should prioritize network security or freedom of speech.
Durov was born in Russia and holds multiple nationalities including French and Emirati. A decade ago, he founded Telegram, an encrypted messaging application that has seen exponential user growth since its inception, reportedly exceeding 9.5 billion users.
According to Forbes, Durov’s net worth is estimated at $15.5 billion. In April, Durov mentioned that some governments had tried to pressure him, asserting that the application should remain a neutral platform rather than a “participant in geopolitics”.
Under Durov’s leadership, Telegram has incited anger from governments ranging from the European Union to authoritarian regimes in Russia and Iran. Protesters opposed to authorities have used the app to organize, while conspiracy theorists and extremists have utilized it as a hub for communication.
In 2014, Durov fled Russia for refusing to share data of Ukrainian users of the social media site Vkontakte, which he founded in 2006.