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Telegram is making changes to improve user safety and privacy after its founder and CEO, Pavel Durov, was arrested in France last month. He was taken into custody and questioned by French authorities regarding alleged criminal activities on the platform, including trafficking and gang-related transactions, and the company’s failure to provide data needed for the investigation. Durov was later released on bail set at $5.56 million.
Telegram has gained over 950 million users due to its encryption and privacy features but has also faced criticism for being popular with criminals, including drug traffickers and extremists. After his arrest, Durov said he had “nothing to hide,” but admitted the platform’s rapid growth had made it easier for bad actors to misuse the app.
In response, Telegram is updating its terms of service and privacy policy, stating that it will now share IP addresses and phone numbers of users who break the rules, but only in response to valid legal requests. The platform will also issue quarterly transparency reports on data it shares with law enforcement. Durov mentioned that Telegram’s search function, which allows users to find public channels and bots, had been abused for illegal activities, and the company is now using moderators and AI to remove problematic content from the platform’s search feature.
While these changes aim to reduce criminal activity on the platform, it’s unclear if they will fully prevent misuse, especially in private, encrypted chats where Telegram cannot access the conversations. The platform has also removed certain content, including channels linked to Hamas, and cracked down on calls for violence. However, how these changes will affect the ongoing French investigation remains uncertain.
