Telegram Reveals User IP Addresses and Phone Numbers at Governments' Request

Pavel Durov, the CEO and founder of the messaging app Telegram, announced that the app will disclose users' IP addresses and phone numbers upon request from authorities in various countries. On Monday, October 2, Durov wrote on Telegram: "To further prevent criminals from abusing Telegram's search engine, we have updated our terms of service and privacy policy to ensure compliance with global laws. We have explicitly stated that the IP addresses and phone numbers of individuals who violate our rules may be disclosed at the request of relevant legal authorities." He added: "In the past few weeks, a group of specialists has made Telegram's search engine much safer using artificial intelligence. None of the problematic content we identified in this search engine is accessible anymore." Durov, who is from Russia, was arrested in Paris last month on suspicion of involvement in various crimes, including operating an online platform that facilitates illegal transactions, child pornography, drug trafficking, fraud, failure to provide information to authorities, money laundering, and providing encryption services to criminals. He was released shortly after on a $5.5 million bail. Among other accusations against Durov is his refusal to provide documents to officials investigating illegal activities on Telegram. Durov, who holds citizenship in France, Russia, the UAE, and Saint Kitts and Nevis, emphasized that his arrest was a "mistake." He acknowledged that Telegram is not "flawless" and that there is potential for abuse of the platform, but stated that Telegram was fundamentally established to "defend the basic rights of people."