In response to mounting pressure from French authorities, Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, announced changes to the messenger’s privacy policy. In a recent Telegram message, Durov revealed that his team had removed all “illegal content” from the app’s search results using advanced neural networks. He emphasized that Telegram would cooperate with law enforcement by providing the data of users who violate the platform’s terms in response to a “reasonable request.”
As part of these changes, Telegram’s Privacy Policy has been updated. Previously, section 8.3 of the policy specified that Telegram could only hand over data in cases involving terrorism. The updated policy now states that, after a “legal analysis of the request,” Telegram may provide authorities with the IP address and phone number of users suspected of criminal activities that violate the platform’s Terms of Use.
This shift follows allegations by French authorities accusing Pavel Durov of complicity in the distribution of child pornography and drugs due to his earlier reluctance to share user data. In response, Durov clarified that Telegram has always cooperated with intelligence agencies and emphasized his commitment to transparency. The company also added a “Report” button to its FAQ, allowing users to flag illegal content more easily.