Pavel Durov, founder and CEO of the social media platform "Telegram," announced in a post that "Telegram" has amended its terms of service to comply with legal demands by handing over the IP addresses and phone numbers of users who violate regulations to relevant government authorities.
According to reports, Durov was arrested last month in France, accused of failing to take measures to prevent illegal activities on the "Telegram" platform, including scams, drug trafficking, organized crime, child pornography, and promoting terrorism. The French prosecutor stated on August 28 that Durov was released on bail under judicial supervision but is not allowed to leave France.
Bloomberg reported that "Telegram" had previously ignored multiple governments' requests to delete content and often disregarded requests for information on criminal suspects. The report mentioned that Durov's "Telegram" platform had previously angered governments from the European Union to Russia. "Telegram" has become a gathering place for conspiracy theorists and extremists. For example, white supremacists in the USA have been using the platform for years to coordinate attacks on power infrastructure.
CNN mentioned that after Durov's arrest, "Telegram" issued a statement saying that Durov "has nothing to hide" and that "it is absurd to hold the platform or its owners responsible for the misuse of the platform." However, two weeks after his arrest, Durov admitted that the "sudden growth" of the social media users made it easier for criminals to abuse the platform.
According to reports, Durov stated that "Telegram" is now making some changes to reduce criminal activities on the platform. The most significant change is that "Telegram" has updated its terms of service and privacy policy, which will now comply with valid legal demands to hand over the IP addresses and phone numbers of users who violate regulations. The platform will disclose all user data provided to law enforcement in its quarterly transparency reports. CNN stated that this is the latest concession made by the "Telegram" platform.
Durov claimed that "Telegram's" search function is more powerful than other similar apps, but "unfortunately, this feature has been abused by those violating our terms of service to sell illegal goods." He added that a team assisted by artificial intelligence has identified and removed "problematic content" from the public search function. He also urged users to report illegal content to the platform when they encounter it.
