Telegram will share some user data with authorities, confirms CEO Pavel Durov

Telegram app update: Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has confirmed that the app will share some of the users' data with the law enforcement authorities when presented with a 'valid legal request'. Durov, in a post on his official handle on Telegram, wrote that Telegram would share the phone numbers and IP addresses of its users in response to the requests made by the relevant law-enforcement authorities.

"Search on Telegram is more powerful than in other messaging apps because it allows users to find public channels and bots. Unfortunately, this feature has been abused by people who violated our Terms of Service to sell illegal goods," he wrote in his post.

"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, marking a significant shift in the company's previous stance of taking a hands-off approach.

It is worth noting that the Telegram founder's statement comes just days after the company quietly updated its FAQ page to reflect change in its policy regarding its Secret Chats feature. For the unversed, Telegram's Secret Chats feature comes with end-to-end encryption, which makes it impossible for anyone, including Telegram, to decode a message and get access to its content. This feature was reportedly being used for spreading misinformation on the platform, which ultimately culminated in Durov's arrest outside of Paris earlier this month.

As far as the changes to Telegram's policies are concerned, earlier the FAQ page said, "All Telegram chats and group chats are private amongst their participants. We do not process any requests related to them."

This section was updated by the company earlier this month to reflect, "All Telegram apps have ‘Report’ buttons that let you flag illegal content for our moderators — in just a few taps." What's important to note here is that earlier, Telegram's reporting tools were restricted to more public-facing content such as bots and channels. But now, the company is also letting users report content within chats.