Telegram to Disclose User IP Addresses to Authorities Upon Request

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Tanzeel Akhtar

Journalist

Tanzeel Akhtar

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Tanzeel Akhtar has been covering the cryptocurrency and blockchain sector since 2015. She has written for the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, CoinDesk, Bitcoin Magazine and Bitcoin.com.

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September 24, 2024

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Pavel Durov, CEO of Telegram, has made a change to the messaging app’s security and privacy policies which involves handing over users’ IP addresses and numbers to authorities upon request.

In an update to its terms of service, Telegram said it will now hand over information to authorities who present valid legal requests, such as search warrants.

This policy shift marks a major development for the platform, which has built its reputation on robust privacy features.

Telegram’s updated terms of service now include a new section (8.3) under “Law Enforcement Authorities.” – this states:

If Telegram receives a valid order from the relevant judicial authorities that confirms you’re a suspect in a case involving criminal activities that violate the Telegram Terms of Service, we will perform a legal analysis of the request and may disclose your IP address and phone number to the relevant authorities. If any data is shared, we will include such occurrences in a quarterly transparency report published at: https://t.me/transparency.

Telegram — (8.3) under “Law Enforcement Authorities.

Telegram previously positioned itself as a strong advocate for user privacy and security. The platform, which has over 700 million active users, has often been viewed as a haven for those seeking encrypted communications, free from government surveillance.

The new policy, however, suggests that Telegram is now willing to cooperate with law enforcement under certain conditions.

Telegram CEO Arrest, Censorship-Resistant Era Over

Durov was arrested at an airport on the outskirts of Paris, France, on Aug. 24. The Russian-born billionaire was charged with many crimes, including complicity in drug trafficking, dissemination of child pornography, fraud, money laundering, and illegal provision of cryptographic services. Since Durov’s release, Telegram has been facing pressure from governments to share user data.

Daria Lysenko, a crypto lawyer with the law firm SBSB, recently said the regulatory environment is shifting, and tech companies like Telegram may be forced to comply with the government’s demands to share private user information.

Debate on Free Speech

Since Durov’s arrest, there has been a huge debate around free speech. Meredith Whittaker, the president of privacy-focused U.S-based social network Signal, Durov’s arrest shows that tech companies are “looking at a very volatile geopolitical environment,” Wired reported.