Belgian and French prosecutors are joining forces to investigate Telegram. The messaging app has been criticized for some time.
The Federal Prosecutor’s Office confirms to De Standaard that a joint investigation team Around Telegram is equipped with the French court. By joining forces, Belgian and French investigators can exchange information and coordinate actions. Telegram is receiving increasing attention in both Belgium and France.
The Belgian public prosecutor’s investigation has been ongoing since 2020. “In almost all investigations into arms trafficking, for example, it is invaluable: the suspects use Telegram,” a spokesman told De Standaard. The application is also officially under Belgian supervision via the BIPT.
Haven for criminals
It’s no longer a secret that Telegram is popular in criminal environments. The reason for this is the messaging app’s sometimes far-reaching data protection regulations. Telegram offers users many tools to hide in anonymity. According to the authorities, everything from arms and drug trafficking to terrorist groups is possible on Telegram.
The messaging app is also accused of letting everything get away with it. Telegram has always denied this in previous written responses to ITdaily. Since Pavel Durov’s arrest in France last summer, things are starting to get very heated on Telegram.
Cooperation
Since this incident, Telegram appears to have taken a more lenient approach towards the authorities. Telegram boss Durov announced in August that Telegram would now pass on IP addresses of criminals upon request. A remarkable change of course, because until now Telegram almost never responded to such requests, except in the very exceptional cases involving terrorist suspects.
The company also continues to insist on moderating content. According to Durov, the company employs a team of moderators powered by AI. A few weeks after his arrest, Durov even stated that much of the problematic content the company was accused of had since disappeared. However, the Federal Prosecutor’s Office is keeping a tight grip on Telegram’s turnaround.