Telegram quietly updates privacy policy, now allows DATA DISCLOSURE to law enforcement

10/02/2024 / By Belle Carter

In its biggest-ever change to its privacy policy, Telegram has just announced it will now provide user data to law enforcement – a sharp U-turn to its official previous stance that the platform will “protect user data at all costs.”

According to reports, the cloud-based cross-platform “quietly” updated its privacy policy to allow for the disclosure of user information, including IP addresses and phone numbers, to law enforcement, provided that they present a valid legal request.

“If Telegram receives a valid order from the relevant judicial authorities that confirms you are a suspect in a case involving criminal activities that violate the Telegram Terms of Service, we will perform a legal analysis of the request and may disclose your IP address and telephone number to the relevant authorities,” the updated policy indicated. (Related: Tyranny wins: Durov caves, deploys AI to “comb” Telegram users for illegal content.)

The previous policy provided that Telegram would only share data in cases involving terror suspects. The policy even reassured everyone that this kind of handover had never happened.

Meanwhile, the social media site vowed to disclose incidents in its quarterly transparency reports, which can be accessed via a dedicated bot.

The latest policy switch occurred following an August incident wherein Telegram CEO Pavel Durov found himself in handcuffs and detained by French authorities. Telegram was accused of refusing to hand over data after making 2,460 unanswered requests for information. Durov’s arrest was reportedly part of an investigation into the spread of child pornography, drug trafficking and the rise of other illegal activities on or using the app.

The platform has denied any allegations, claiming that it follows industry standards when it comes to content moderation and abides with European Union laws.

“It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner is responsible for the abuse of that platform,” a company spokesperson said following Durov’s arrest.

In his latest announcement, Durov told users that Telegram has updated its Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, “ensuring they are consistent across the world.”

“We’ve made it clear that the IP addresses and phone numbers of those who violate our rules can be disclosed to relevant authorities in response to valid legal requests,” Durov added. “These measures should discourage criminals. Telegram Search is meant for finding friends and discovering news, not for promoting illegal goods. We won’t let bad actors jeopardize the integrity of our platform for almost a billion users.”

Telegram is also implementing new moderation measures, with a team of artificial-intelligence-aided moderators working on removing “problematic content” from the search feature.

Telegram’s policy update raises OVERREACH concerns

The most recent policy switch of Telegram has already incited various concerns among users.

Critics even pointed out how authorities may “stretch the definition of ‘valid legal request’ just to make sure it fits their surveillance agenda.”

According to Anndy Lian, author and intergovernmental blockchain expert, the shift warrants concerns for privacy-preserving technologies, considering that it contradicts Telegram’s foundational principles.

“This highlights the ongoing tension between regulatory compliance and the protection of user data […] The concern is that such compliance could set a precedent, encouraging other privacy-focused services to follow suit, thereby eroding the privacy standards that users have come to expect,” he said.

Meanwhile, reports revealed that Meta and WhatsApp are already sharing user data with authorities. WhatsApp, currently the largest messenger app by users, is widely known for sharing user data with law enforcement.

Its privacy policy states: “Based on the circumstances, we may disclose information to law enforcement in response to an emergency disclosure request where we have a good faith reason to believe that the matter involves imminent risk of serious physical injury.”

Meta, Facebook’s parent company, has complied with over 301,000 requests from authorities since July 2013. It already provided user data for over 77 percent of the 528,000 legal requests received, according to Meta’s policy page. These policies are similar to Meta’s Messenger, which also complies with requests from authorities.

Check out BigTech.news for similar stories.

Watch the video below where Durov tells independent journalist Tucker Carlson that U.S. agencies were trying to infiltrate Telegram to install backdoors.

This video is from the SecureLife channel on Brighteon.com.