Durov announces Telegram shares consumer specifics with many governments
Date
10/3/2024 5:56:01 AM
(MENAFN) Pavel Durov, CEO of Telegram, announced on Wednesday that the messaging platform has been cooperating with various governments regarding privacy policies, revealing that it has been disclosing information about criminal activities to authorities for the past six years. This statement comes amidst Durov's legal challenges in France, where he remains unable to leave the country following his arrest in late August. He faces multiple charges, including allegations of operating a platform used for organized crime and failing to cooperate with French law enforcement.
Last month, Durov updated Telegram’s Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, making it explicit that the platform could disclose IP addresses and phone numbers of users who violate its rules in response to valid legal requests. He emphasized that this update does not represent a significant change in Telegram's operations; the platform has already been sharing information with authorities concerning criminal abuse.
In his follow-up message on his channel, Durov elaborated that Telegram has been equipped to disclose user information, such as IP addresses and phone numbers, since 2018, provided that the requests are legally sound and properly formatted. He stated that the platform verifies such requests through appropriate channels before complying.
Citing specific examples, Durov mentioned that in Brazil, Telegram had responded to over 200 legal requests for user data since the beginning of the year. In India, the figure is even higher, with nearly 7,000 requests processed in the same timeframe. This proactive approach to compliance with legal authorities highlights Telegram’s ongoing balance between user privacy and legal obligations in various jurisdictions.
MENAFN03102024000045015687ID1108742727
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.