Telegram to Provide More User Data to Governments After CEO’s Arrest

• Telegram on Monday made significant changes to its privacy terms.
• The app will now share information such as a user's IP address and phone number with judicial authorities in cases of potential criminal conduct.
• The changes come after Telegram CEO Pavel Durov's arrest in France last month.

Messaging app Telegram made significant changes to its terms of service, chief executive officer Pavel Durov said in a post on the app on Monday.

The app’s privacy conditions now state that Telegram will now share a user’s IP address and phone number with judicial authorities in cases where criminal conduct is being investigated.

Telegram-linked Toncoin (TON) declined about 1% after Bloomberg first reported about the changes. The token is currently trading at $5.62.

The changes come after Durov was arrested in France last month, when authorities alleged his company let users abuse the app for illegal activities, including drug trafficking, distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and fraud.

After his arrest, the Russian-born promised changes and said that "establishing the right balance between privacy and security is not easy,” in a post on the app. Earlier this month, Telegram blocked users from uploading new media in an effort to stop bots and scammers.

Monday's changes depart significantly from the app’s previous disclosure, which stated that that information would only be shared if a user was a suspect of terrorism.

Telegram, one of the most popular messaging apps on the market, previously faced pressure from Russian authorities, who attempted to ban the app in 2018 and led Durov to move to Europe. Telegram offers encrypted messaging, but it is not enabled by default.

The 39-year-old, who denied any charges, has been ordered to stay in France until the investigation is closed. He's currently out on bail.

UPDATE (Sept. 25, 2024, 00:58 UTC): Better describes how Telegram offers encrypted messaging.