The IP addresses and phone numbers of those who violate Telegram’s rules may be disclosed to the relevant authorities in response to legitimate requests. This was recently announced by the app’s founder Pavel Durov, Komersant ukrainskyi
reports
“To prevent attackers from abusing the Telegram search mechanism, we have updated our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and made them the same in all countries,” Durov said.
He stressed that in the past weeks, Telegram moderators have used AI to remove “problematic content” from the messenger’s search.
At the same time, according to Galina Yanchenko, MP from the Servant of the People party, this does not apply to Ukraine, although our law enforcement agencies would also like to have access to the phone numbers and IP addresses of some users.
“The point is that from September, Telegram will respond to legal requests from European authorities. That is, European law enforcement. Not Russian or even Ukrainian. Although I am sure that Ukrainian law enforcement officers would also like to have such access. For many years, representatives of the police and the Ministry of Internal Affairs have been saying that these anonymous telegram channels, which are run by someone unknown, are actually distributing drug trafficking, excise-free cigarettes and other illegal goods,” the MP said.
Previously, Pavel Durov was known for his tough stance on refusing to cooperate with governments in providing access to encrypted user data. He has repeatedly stated that he will not hand over the encryption keys to any authorities, which has drawn criticism from some governments and organisations. This stance allowed Telegram to remain one of the most secure messengers, but at the same time created challenges for law enforcement agencies in the fight against cybercrime.
However, everything changed after Durov’s arrest in France. When he was released after several days in custody, Durov immediately changed the privacy policy of the messenger. It started with the fact that the messenger started responding to complaints about illegal content.
The Ukrainian authorities have also been looking at the messenger for a long time and have often criticised it. The police constantly complain that drugs are being sold on Telegram, and the military says that it is controlled by Russian special services.
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Finally, last week, the press service of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine reported that the National Coordination Centre for Cybersecurity had decided to restrict the use of Telegram in government agencies, military formations and critical infrastructure facilities.
Despite these restrictions, MPs and some agencies continue to use the messenger without restrictions.
Author: Alyona Kaplina