Telegram will provide criminal users’ data to the courts

Telegram has just updated its privacy policy and from now on the platform will allow authorities to access both the phone number and IP address of users in the face of proven legal requests.

This change comes as another step by the company to allow greater cooperation with judicial authorities in cases involving criminal activities, with the aim of minimizing and combating the illegal use of the platform.

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New data disclosure policy

Under the new policy, if Telegram receives a valid court order confirming that a user is suspected of criminal activity that violates the platform’s Terms of Service, the company may disclose that user’s IP address and phone number to the appropriate authorities. Telegram makes it clear that this will not be done lightly, stressing that all requests will undergo rigorous legal review before any data is released.

The move comes at a delicate time for the company, especially after the arrest of its CEO, Pavel Durov, last month. Durov was accused by French authorities of allowing illegal activities to be carried out on Telegram, which pressured the platform to adopt stricter measures.

Telegram’s commitment to security

In a post on Telegram itself, Durov said the changes are intended to “dissuade criminals from abusing” the platform’s functions, such as the search tool, which allows users to find public channels and bots.

He also highlighted that the company’s transparency policy is clearer, stating that the IP addresses and phone numbers of users who violate the rules may be shared with authorities.

“We will not allow bad actors to jeopardize the integrity of our platform, which serves nearly a billion users”Durov declared.

It’s worth noting that Telegram previously only shared user data in cases involving suspected terrorism. Now, the policy applies to any criminal violation confirmed by a valid court order.

This is because Telegram has always been criticized for its flexible moderation policies, which, according to experts, have turned the platform into a meeting point for criminals.

A recent report by The New York Times revealed that thousands of channels on Telegram have links to terrorism, drug trafficking, child sexual abuse material and extremism. These channels take advantage of the platform’s flexibility to operate relatively anonymously and without many obstacles.

Platform will also have moderators and AI against illegal content

In addition to the new policies, Durov also revealed that the platform will be implementing the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to identify and remove content deemed problematic from the platform’s search function.

Additionally, Telegram has disabled its “People Nearby” feature, which was being abused, and paused media uploads on Telegraph, its anonymous blogging tool. These changes signal a shift in focus for the company, which is determined to improve its reputation for safety and content moderation.

Fonte: TheVerge