Telegram CEO Pavel Durov, facing charges in France, has agreed to provide user data, including "IP addresses and phone numbers," to government authorities if they have "valid legal requests."
Durov announced Monday that Telegram, the popular encrypted messaging app touted by users for its privacy strengths, will disclose the data of users who violate the app's rules to relevant authorities "in response to valid legal requests." The announcement marks a dramatic shift in Telegram’s policy, which previously emphasized strong privacy protections and limited cooperation with governments.
Durov, a 39-year-old billionaire who holds both French and Russian passports, was arrested in France last month and charged with facilitating criminal activities through Telegram, including the distribution of child pornography. In response, Durov announced on Monday that Telegram has updated its terms of service to deter criminals from exploiting the platform.
Durov wrote in a post on Telegram that the move to update policies was in part about “ensuring they are consistent across the world" and would aim to improve the platform’s security measures.
Telegram CEO Pavel Durov, out on bail in Paris and charged with complacency in the worst internet crimes imaginable (notably failing to counter CSAM), casually said this morning they're now abiding by court orders to turn over alleged criminals' IP addresses and phone numbers. pic.twitter.com/QfEWiFZJV8
— Kevin Collier (@kevincollier) September 23, 2024Telegram has built a global user base of hundreds of millions on the promise of its end-to-end encryption and privacy-first approach. However, the platform has been criticized by some foreign governments for being a tool used by criminal organizations for illegal activities such as terrorism, money laundering, human trafficking, and the spread of child sexual abuse material.
In the past, Telegram has resisted government requests for data, only sharing information when backed by a legally binding court order. Now Durov pledges to intensify efforts to combat criminal activity on the app, saying, “That’s why I made it my personal goal to ensure we significantly improve things in this regard.”
However, it is somewhat of a misnomer that Telegram is always encrypted for each user behind the app. In actuality, users must go through a semicomplex multistep process on their mobile phones to enable end-to-end encryption, meaning it is not available by default to users just by installing the app.
Meanwhile, Durov has defended himself against the ongoing French investigation, arguing that it is “misguided” to hold a CEO personally accountable for the actions of third parties on their platform. Despite his insistence that Telegram is not an “anarchic paradise,” he acknowledged the platform’s growing user base has presented challenges. Durov is currently released on bail.
In response to criticism against Durov's arrest French President Emmanuel Macron argued last month the arrest of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov was not politically motivated, saying, "The arrest of the Telegram president on French territory took place as part of an ongoing judicial investigation." Notably, Macron has publicly stated he is a fan of the app and uses it.
Durov's company is based in the United Arab Emirates, in part because "it's neutral" and a "small country that wants to be friends with everybody," he told former Fox News host Tucker Carlson on the Tucker Carlson Network in April. The UAE has been in touch with Durov since his arrest, saying the country prioritizes the welfare of its citizens.
Because Russia relies on the app for much of its activities related to the war in Ukraine, Durov's arrest has prompted some cybersecurity experts to speculate whether it could amount to a major crack in the Russian military's communication channels.
“Many are joking that the arrest of Pavel Durov is essentially the arrest of the chief signals officer of the Russian armed forces,” Aleksey Rogozin, a former senior military industry executive in Russia, told the Wall Street Journal last month.
While it's unclear what Durov's capitulation means for the broader conflict in Ukraine, the changes in policy on Telegram also come just days after Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council announced the ban of Telegram by all official devices used in the country amid concerns that the Russia-founded app poses a threat to the nation.
Ukraine has opted to use an alternative encrypted messaging app known as Signal, which is also widely used in the United States.
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Still, some critics have emerged against Signal, including Carlson, who claimed he was spied on by the National Security Agency despite his use of the app.
In response to security concerns, Signal claims conversations on its app "are always end-to-end encrypted, which means that they can only be read or heard by your intended recipients. Privacy isn’t an optional mode — it’s just the way that Signal works."