According to CEO Pavel Durov, messaging app Telegram will provide users’ IP addresses and phone numbers to relevant authorities in response to valid legal requests.
The platform has changed its terms of service to prevent criminals from abusing it, Durov said in a Telegram post on Monday. The move comes less than a month after his arrest in France, where he is accused of allegedly aiding and abetting the distribution of child abuse material.
The move marks a marked departure from Telegram’s approach to government data requests and its reputation for lax moderation. The UAE-based platform has been notoriously unresponsive to takedown requests from governments around the world and has frequently ignored requests for information on suspected criminals.
The app uses artificial intelligence (AI) and a team of moderators, and has now started hiding problematic content from search results as part of efforts to prevent abuse, Durov said.
French prosecutors in August charged Russian-born Durov in connection with alleged crimes committed through the app. The case portrays the billionaire CEO as the head of a company that refused to provide law enforcement with data to support legal wiretaps of suspected criminals.
Durov, who must remain in France during the investigation, denies the allegations.
Under Durov, Telegram has drawn the ire of governments ranging from the European Union to authoritarian regimes in Russia and Iran. It has been used by protesters seeking to organize against the authorities, while also becoming a hub for conspiracy theorists and extremists.
White supremacists in the US, for example, have been using Telegram for years to coordinate attacks on energy infrastructure.
The Kremlin tried to block Telegram in 2018, but reversed course two years later after failing to shut down the service. When it lifted the ban, the Russian watchdog said Durov had said he would help combat extremism and terrorism.
Durov’s arrest has led to a number of policy changes at Telegram. Earlier this month, Telegram disabled new media uploads, which Durov said was intended to stop bots and scammers.
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