Telegram, the popular messaging app, has made a significant update to its privacy policy, causing concerns among its users. The app will now share user data with relevant authorities in response to valid legal requests. This includes sharing the IP addresses and phone numbers of users who violate the app’s rules. Pavel Durov, the CEO of Telegram, announced this policy change on September 23rd. This update has raised concerns for privacy-preserving technologies, as it contradicts Telegram’s foundational principles.
Anndy Lian, an author and intergovernmental blockchain expert, stated that this policy change is a significant departure from Telegram’s previous user guidelines. The change was made in response to concerns about the potential misuse of the platform for illegal activities. Interestingly, the policy shift occurred a month after Durov’s arrest in France.
Despite the potential privacy concerns, the main goal of Telegram’s policy update is to combat criminal activity on the platform. As part of this effort, the app has implemented artificial intelligence algorithms and human moderators to remove problematic content from Telegram Search. The new policy aims to make Telegram Search safer for users and deter criminal activity.
Telegram is currently the fourth most popular online messenger app in the world, with over 900 million monthly active users as of April 2024. This information comes from Statista. While the policy shift may surprise some users, it is not unprecedented among the top messaging apps. WhatsApp, the largest messenger app by users, is known for sharing user data with law enforcement, as stated in its privacy policy. Meta’s Messenger also complies with requests from authorities.
Meta, previously known as Facebook, has been complying with authorities’ requests for user data since July 2013. According to Meta’s policy page, they have fulfilled over 301,000 requests, providing user data for over 77% of the total 528,000 legal requests received.
In summary, Telegram’s recent privacy policy update has sparked concerns among its users. The app will now share user data with relevant authorities in response to legal requests. While this may raise privacy concerns, the primary goal is to combat criminal activity on the platform. This policy change aligns with similar practices by other popular messaging apps like WhatsApp and Meta’s Messenger.