Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has announced a major change to the messaging app’s privacy policy on its platform. Telegram will provide data about its users, such as phone numbers and IP addresses, to authorities that make legal requests.

Why is it important?The change marks the end of an era for Telegram, which has been known for its resistance to government demands for its users’ privacy.

The decision comes at a sensitive time for the company, under increasing legal pressure and amid accusations that it had greatly facilitated illegal activities.

contextDurov was arrested in France in August on charges of complicity in the dissemination of paedophile material. The CEO has pleaded not guilty to 12 charges but must remain in France pending an investigation. He has held French citizenship since 2021 but lives in Dubai.

The incident triggered a series of changes to Telegram’s policies, including technical measures to combat certain types of bots and scams, a clarification of how to report inappropriate content, and a ban on uploading new media to the Telegraph.

behind the scenes. Telegram is implementing new moderation measures using both AI and human moderators to hide problematic content in search results.

It’s a big change for an app that has been criticized in the past for its lax oversight and ignoring requests for information on suspects, making it a new deep webWith this return, this role is being questioned.

In perspective. Telegram has gone from an oddity to a fixture on the digital landscape, used both by protesters seeking to organize against authoritarian regimes and by extremists or advocates of conspiracy theories.

Russia tried to block him in 2018 for not disclosing data to its government, a measure that met with little real success and lifted the ban two years later.

in detailTelegram’s change of course illustrates a global trend toward greater regulation of messaging and communications platforms.

In the process, it reminds us of the complex balance between privacy and security. Those who put the former see a slight defeat in this change of position. Those who choose the latter see a victory for government control.

Featured image | Rubaitul Azad on Unsplash

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