Telegram will now provide some user data to authorities
Telegram, a messaging service, has said that it will provide authorities with search warrants or other legitimate legal requests along with user phone numbers and IP addresses.
The change to its terms of service and privacy policy “should discourage criminals”, CEO Pavel Durov said in a Telegram post on Monday.
The 0.001% of Telegram users engaged in illicit activities create a bad image for the entire platform, putting the interests of our almost billion users at risk, even though 99.999% of users have nothing to do with crime,” he went on.
For Mr. Durov, the co-founder of the platform who was born in Russia and was arrested by French police last month at an airport north of Paris, the announcement represents a dramatic about face.
Mr Durov, who has disputed the charges, hit out at officials shortly after his detention, claiming that holding him liable for crimes committed by third parties on the platform was both “surprising” and “misguided.”
Shortly after his arrest, Mr. Durov, who has denied the charges, attacked authorities, saying it was “surprising” and “misguided” to hold him accountable for crimes committed by third parties on the platform.