NAIROBI, Kenya- In a surprising pivot, messaging app Telegram has announced it will hand over user data, including IP addresses and phone numbers, to authorities who present valid legal requests or search warrants.
CEO Pavel Durov, who has long championed privacy on the platform, shared the news in a Telegram post, stating that the change is aimed at discouraging criminal activity.
While Durov assured that “99.999pc of Telegram users have nothing to do with crime,” he emphasized that a small fraction of bad actors is jeopardizing the platform’s reputation.
The move marks a notable shift for Telegram, which has often been viewed as a safe space for political dissidents and privacy-focused individuals, raising questions about its future as a privacy-first messaging service.
Telegram’s updated privacy policy comes on the heels of mounting legal pressure.
Last month, Durov was detained at a French airport and subsequently charged with enabling criminal activities on the platform.
The allegations, which include complicity in spreading child abuse material and drug trafficking, have pushed the platform’s practices into the spotlight.
Durov denies the charges and called his arrest “surprising” and “misguided,” arguing that holding him accountable for third-party activity was unreasonable.
Critics have long flagged Telegram for its lack of strict content moderation. With its allowance for group sizes up to 200,000 members—compared to WhatsApp’s 1,000-member limit—Telegram has become a haven for extremist content, misinformation, and even child pornography.
This lack of control has drawn scrutiny from governments worldwide, including Ukraine, which recently banned the app from state-issued devices over national security concerns.
The arrest of Durov, the 39-year-old founder, has reignited debate over the balance between free speech and security, with privacy advocates questioning whether Telegram can still be a safe platform for political dissent.
The policy change has sparked concerns that Telegram could now cooperate with authorities from repressive regimes.
John Scott-Railton, a senior researcher at the University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab, pointed out that many people who once saw Telegram as a safe space for expressing political views in countries like Russia and Belarus are now worried.
“Many are scrutinizing Telegram’s announcement with a basic question in mind: does this mean the platform will start cooperating with authorities in repressive regimes?” Scott-Railton said.
While Telegram’s marketing has long promoted it as a haven for free speech and resistance to government demands, this new direction is raising eyebrows in various communities.
Despite the policy shift, the company has remained vague about how it will handle requests from governments with poor human rights records.
Telegram’s moderation practices are another point of contention. While Durov announced a “dedicated team of moderators” using AI to conceal problematic content in search results, experts argue this isn’t enough.
Experts also questioned whether Telegram’s new policy would go far enough to meet law enforcement demands for user data, including information on who people are communicating with and the content of their messages.
With Telegram’s latest policy changes, the app seems to be moving away from its staunch privacy stance, sparking debates about free speech and safety on the platform.
As the company begins sharing user data with authorities, it’s uncertain how this will affect its nearly billion-strong user base, especially in politically sensitive regions.
While the intent may be to curb illegal activity, many wonder if this is the beginning of the end for Telegram as a privacy-first platform.
