Pavel Durov tries to argue that "little has changed" with Telegram
Back in August 2024, Pavel Durov was arrested in France, because the Telegram app was seen by certain authorities as problematic and letting criminals operate undisturbed.
Just a month later, Durov, at first firm on Telegram’s policies about free speech and not restricting its users, sort of caved in:
On September 23, the Telegram CEO and founder said on his own Telegram channel that the app's Search functionality "is more powerful than in other messaging apps" because it allows users to find "public channels and bots". Unfortunately, some individuals have misused this feature to sell illegal goods, violating Telegram's Terms of Service, Durov argued.
These actions, Durov claimed, are aimed at discouraging criminal activity and protecting the integrity of the platform for its nearly one billion users.
Now, there are further clarifications from Durov, starting like that:
Durov claims that since 2018, Telegram has had the ability to share the IP addresses and phone numbers of criminals with authorities in most countries, according to its Privacy Policy. When Telegram receives a legitimate legal request, it verifies and discloses the data of dangerous criminals.
The @transparency bot showcases the number of processed requests for user data. For example, in Brazil, Telegram responded to 75 legal requests in Q1 2024, 63 in Q2, and 65 in Q3. In India, the largest market, Telegram satisfied 2461 requests in Q1, 2151 in Q2, and 2380 in Q3. In Europe, there was an increase in valid legal requests during Q3 as more EU authorities followed the correct communication line mandated by the EU DSA law.
Are you sighing with relief after these words? Do you believe him?
Just a month later, Durov, at first firm on Telegram’s policies about free speech and not restricting its users, sort of caved in:
On September 23, the Telegram CEO and founder said on his own Telegram channel that the app's Search functionality "is more powerful than in other messaging apps" because it allows users to find "public channels and bots". Unfortunately, some individuals have misused this feature to sell illegal goods, violating Telegram's Terms of Service, Durov argued.
To further deter criminals from abusing Telegram Search, we have updated our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, ensuring they are consistent across the world. We’ve made it clear that the IP addresses and phone numbers of those who violate our rules can be disclosed to relevant authorities in response to valid legal requests.
– Pavel Durov on his Telegram channel, September 2024
These actions, Durov claimed, are aimed at discouraging criminal activity and protecting the integrity of the platform for its nearly one billion users.
Now, there are further clarifications from Durov, starting like that:
My previous post may have seemed to announce a major shift in how Telegram works. But in reality, little has changed.
Durov claims that since 2018, Telegram has had the ability to share the IP addresses and phone numbers of criminals with authorities in most countries, according to its Privacy Policy. When Telegram receives a legitimate legal request, it verifies and discloses the data of dangerous criminals.
To reduce confusion, last week, we streamlined and unified our privacy policy across different countries. But our core principles haven’t changed. We’ve always strived to comply with relevant local laws — as long as they didn’t go against our values of freedom and privacy.
– Pavel Durov on his Telegram channel, October 2024
Are you sighing with relief after these words? Do you believe him?
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Things that are NOT allowed: