Telegram Alters Privacy Policy: User Data Now Accessible To Law Enforcement

Messaging platform Telegram has introduced a significant policy change, allowing the company to share users’ IP addresses and phone numbers with law enforcement . This shift was confirmed by Telegram’s CEO, Pavel Durov , marking a departure from the platform’s earlier stance on privacy and its resistance to government data requests.

According to the new terms, Telegram will release users’ IP addresses and phone numbers when presented with a legitimate legal request from judicial authorities. Previously, Telegram had limited its cooperation with law enforcement to cases involving terrorism. The updated policy now applies to any user suspected of criminal activity that violates Telegram’s Terms of Service, expanding the platform's scope of compliance.

This move is part of Telegram’s broader effort to address concerns over its potential misuse for illegal activities . In a statement, Durov clarified that the policy aims to prevent criminals from exploiting the app, particularly its public search features, which have been linked to illegal goods trafficking.

The policy change follows the recent arrest of Telegram founder Pavel Durov in France. Durov faces charges for allegedly allowing the platform to be used for illicit activities, including the distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and drug trafficking. Although Durov denies the charges, he was briefly detained and released on bail, remaining in France while the investigation is ongoing. This situation has increased the pressure on Telegram to tighten its moderation policies amid growing regulatory scrutiny.

Telegram has long faced criticism for its lax content moderation and its refusal to comply with government requests for user data , especially in countries like Russia and Iran. Durov’s arrest appears to have accelerated Telegram’s reassessment of its policies, leading to these broader data-sharing practices and efforts to curb illegal activity on the platform.

In response to these challenges, Telegram has also stepped up its content moderation efforts, using artificial intelligence and human moderators to flag and remove content related to terrorism, drug trafficking, and child exploitation. Additionally, the company has disabled certain features prone to abuse, such as the “People Nearby” feature, and restricted access to its anonymous blogging tool, Telegraph, which has been misused for illegal content distribution.

These changes reflect Telegram’s ongoing struggle to balance user privacy with growing legal and governmental pressures. As scrutiny continues to increase, further changes to the platform’s policies may be on the horizon.