In a recent confirmation, Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has confirmed that the platform has been disclosing user data to authorities since 2018. Indeed, the messaging applications head took to his personal channel to note that “little has changed” regarding its privacy policy.
Durov made headlines when he was arrested by French authorities earlier this year. He was apprehended as part of an ongoing investigation into illegal activity taking place on the platform. Although that has sparked some change for the app, Durov has recently addressed how much has been affected.
Also Read: Telegram to Share User Data for Legal Requests After CEO Arrest
Pavel Durov Confirms Telegram Has Long Been Sharing Use Data With Authorities
Over the last several months, Telegram has remained in the public eye. It has enjoyed a meteoric rise in prevalence within the blockchain industry. Yet, it has also been the subject of many investigations looking to crack down on illicit activity taking place on the platform.
When the platform’s founder, Pavel Durov was arrested, things were set to change. His apprehension led way to some start shifts in how the platform utilized data. Moreover, it altered its stance on how it would interact with authorities and the probes regarding users.
At least, that is what many have thought. Yet, that is not the case, according to the man himself. Indeed, Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has recently confirmed that the platform has been sharing user data with authorities since 2018. In a post to his channel, he sought to clear up the misunderstanding.
Also Read: Telegram CEO Pavel Durov Released From Police Custody
“My previous post may have seemed to announce a major shift in how Telegram works,” Durov wrote. “But in reality, little has changed. Since 2018, Telegram has been able to disclose IP addresses/ phone numbers of criminals to authorities, according to our privacy policy in most countries.”
Additionally, Durove stated, “Whenever we received a properly formed legal request via relevant communication lines, we would verify it and disclose the IP addresses/phone numbers of dangerous criminals.” He noted that process had been a core part of its operations long before last week.
Durov then directed users to the platform’s Transparency Bot. The feature was created to display processed data requests. It shed that, for example, it disclosed data for 75 different legal requests in Brazil throughout Q1. While processing 63 in Q2, and 65 in Q3. Thus, clearly showing the process has been in place.