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The updated privacy policy says Telegram ‘may disclose your IP address and phone number to the relevant authorities’ if it confirms you’re a criminal suspect
MANILA, Philippines – Telegram, in an update to its privacy policy on Tuesday, September 24, said it would give a user’s phone number and IP address if it’s requested by authorities and confirmed the user is a suspect in a criminal case that breaches Telegram’s terms.
404 Media, in its report, noted the prior privacy policy only did such for those suspected of terror activities.
The updated privacy policy now reads, “If Telegram receives a valid order from the relevant judicial authorities that confirms you’re 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 phone number to the relevant authorities.”
In a post on Telegram, CEO Pavel Durov said the change was meant to deter criminal activities on the service.
“To further deter criminals from abusing Telegram Search, we have updated our 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 said.
He added that Telegram Search was meant to find friends and discovering news, rather than for “promoting illegal goods.”
“We won’t let bad actors jeopardize the integrity of our platform for almost a billion users,” Durov said.
A report from The Verge added that Durov said moderators were also using artificial intelligence to identify and remove “problematic content” from Telegram’s search feature.
The change to Telegram’s privacy policy follows the arrest of Durov in France as part of an investigation into the spread of child pornography, the trafficking of drugs, and the rise of other illegal activities on or using the app. – Rappler.com
