Telegram to Provide More User Data to Governments After CEO’s Arrest

Election 2024 coverage presented by
Messaging app Telegram made significant changes to its terms of service, chief executive officer Pavel Durov said in a post on the app on Monday.
The app’s privacy conditions now state that Telegram will now share a user’s IP address and phone number with judicial authorities in cases where criminal conduct is being investigated.
Telegram-linked Toncoin (TON) declined about 1% after Bloomberg first reported about the changes. The token is currently trading at $5.62.
The changes come after Durov was arrested in France last month, when authorities alleged his company let users abuse the app for illegal activities, including drug trafficking, distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and fraud.
After his arrest, the Russian-born promised changes and said that “establishing the right balance between privacy and security is not easy,” in a post on the app. Earlier this month, Telegram blocked users from uploading new media in an effort to stop bots and scammers.
Monday’s changes depart significantly from the app’s previous disclosure, which stated that that information would only be shared if a user was a suspect of terrorism.
Telegram, perhaps the most popular encrypted messaging app on the market, previously faced pressure from Russian authorities, who attempted to ban the app in 2018 and led Durov to move to Europe.
The 39-year-old, who denied any charges, has been ordered to stay in France until the investigation is closed. He’s currently out on bail.
Edited by Nikhilesh De.
Disclosure
Please note that our privacy policy, terms of use, cookies, and do not sell my personal information has been updated.CoinDesk is an award-winning media outlet that covers the cryptocurrency industry. Its journalists abide by a strict set of editorial policies. In November 2023, CoinDesk was acquired by the Bullish group, owner of Bullish, a regulated, digital assets exchange. The Bullish group is majority-owned by Block.one; both companies have interests in a variety of blockchain and digital asset businesses and significant holdings of digital assets, including bitcoin. CoinDesk operates as an independent subsidiary with an editorial committee to protect journalistic independence. CoinDesk employees, including journalists, may receive options in the Bullish group as part of their compensation.
Helene is a New York-based reporter covering Wall Street, the rise of the spot bitcoin ETFs and crypto exchanges. She is also the co-host of CoinDesk’s Markets Daily show. Helene is a graduate of New York University’s business and economic reporting program and has appeared on CBS News, YahooFinance and Nasdaq TradeTalks. She holds BTC and ETH.