WASHINGTON Washington: Messaging platform Telegram has announced that it will provide users' IP addresses and phone numbers to authorities who have a valid search warrant or other legal request. The change, which alters Telegram's terms of service and privacy policy, was confirmed by CEO Pavel Durov in a post on Monday. Durov explained the move by saying it should “discourage criminals” from using the platform.
“While 99.999% of Telegram users have nothing to do with crime, the 0.001% involved in illegal activities create a bad image of the entire platform, endangering the interests of our nearly one billion users,” Durov added. This marks a sharp policy shift for the platform, which has long marketed itself as a privacy-focused alternative to other messaging apps.
The announcement follows Durov's arrest at an airport north of Paris last month. French authorities detained the Russian-born CEO, accusing him of enabling criminal activity on the platform, including the distribution of child abuse images and drug trafficking. Prosecutors accused Durov of complicity in these activities as well as non-compliance with law enforcement requests.
Durov, 39, has denied all charges and attacked French authorities following his arrest, calling their holding him responsible for crimes committed by third parties on the platform both “astonishing” and “misleading.”
Critics have long argued that Telegram's structure, particularly its feature that allows groups to host up to 200,000 members, has turned it into a breeding ground for misinformation, child pornography, and extremist content. In contrast, rival platform WhatsApp, owned by Meta, limits the size of groups to 1,000 members, which critics say makes it easier to moderate content.
Telegram came under increased scrutiny last month after it was found to be hosting far-right channels that contributed to violence in several English cities. Also, earlier this week, the Ukrainian government banned the app on state-issued devices, citing concerns about threats posed by Russia using the platform for espionage and information warfare.
Durov's arrest has sparked a debate over the protection of freedom of expression on the Internet. Telegram has long been considered a safe space for political dissidents in authoritarian countries, including Russia, Belarus and parts of the Middle East. However, John Scott-Railton, a senior researcher at the University of Toronto's Citizen Lab, notes that Telegram's policy change has raised concerns in many such communities.
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