Telegram has announced that it will begin sharing users’ phone numbers and IP addresses with law enforcement when there is a valid legal request and the user is found violating platform rules.
This change comes from an update to Telegram’s privacy policy, introduced by CEO Pavel Durov. The new policy states that Telegram will only comply with such requests after receiving a court order confirming that the user is involved in a criminal investigation that breaches the platform’s Terms of Service.
Previously, Telegram limited the sharing of sensitive user information to cases involving terrorism suspects.
Durov explained, “If Telegram receives a valid order from judicial authorities confirming a user is suspected of criminal activity that violates our Terms of Service, we will review the request and may share the user’s IP address and phone number with the authorities.”
Any data shared as a result of these legal requests will be disclosed in a quarterly transparency report, which will be published on Telegram’s transparency channel: https://t.me/transparency.
However, the transparency report bot is not currently operational. A message on the channel notes, “We are updating this bot with current data. Please check back soon,” indicating that Telegram is still working to activate this feature.
In addition to the policy update, Durov announced improvements to Telegram’s search function, which has been misused to promote illegal goods. Telegram has a dedicated team that has been working to remove inappropriate content from search results in recent weeks.
Users are encouraged to report illegal or harmful content through the @SearchReport bot, and Telegram promises that moderators will review all reports concerning illegal content in search results.
Durov emphasized that these measures aim to deter criminals, stating, “Telegram Search is meant for finding friends and discovering news, not for promoting illegal activities. We won’t allow bad actors to compromise the platform used by nearly a billion users.”
This decision follows Durov’s recent arrest in France, where he was investigated for Telegram’s role in facilitating fraud, drug trafficking, and illegal content distribution. Although he was released on bail, French authorities continue their investigation.
Additionally, Ukraine’s National Coordination Centre for Cybersecurity (NCCC) has banned the use of Telegram on government, military, and critical infrastructure devices due to national security concerns.
