Messaging app Telegram will provide users’ IP addresses and phone numbers to relevant authorities in response to valid legal requests, according to Chief Executive Officer Pavel Durov.
The platform changed its terms of service to deter criminals from abusing it, Durov said in a post on Telegram on Monday. The move comes less than a month after his arrest in France, where he faces charges of alleged complicity in the spread of child sexual abuse materials.
The move represents a marked difference from Telegram’s approach to government requests for data and its reputation for lax moderation. The United Arab Emirates-based platform has been notoriously nonresponsive to takedown requests from governments around the world, and often ignored requests for information about suspected criminals.
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