Summary
- Telegram began providing IP addresses and phone numbers at increased rates in response to legal demands post-CEO arrest.
- Data handovers to US officials increased significantly from October 2024.
- The increased transparency could affect illicit users, while upstanding citizens have to make the right decision for themselves.
Following Telegram CEO Pavel Durov’s arrest over a failure to fight crime on the platform, the privacy policy shifted significantly. Instead of pledging to only hand over user data in response to terrorism claims, the platform indicated it would provide IP addresses and phone numbers in compliance with legal demands.
According to the Telegram Transparency Reports bot, it complied to a considerable amount beginning in October, providing US officials with data implicating over 2,100 users, roughly 20 times the users affected by fulfilled requests in the first nine months of 2024 (via 404 Media).
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A predicted jump in data handovers
And nothing that anyone could have stopped
A screenshot of Telegram’s transparency report overview for US data requests throughout 2024, courtesy of 404 Media.
From January to the end of September, Telegram complied with 14 requests from the United States for user data, affecting a total of 108 users. Numbers jumped to 900 fulfilled requests relating to 2,253 users for the entire year. However, indicating a massive spike from October onwards.
To be clear, Telegram didn’t exactly have a say in the matter. The entire point of arresting the CEO, after all, was to encourage compliance with demands to increase transparency as to who was using the app. While more users are becoming aware of Telegram’s closed source encryption, which doesn’t necessarily guarantee complete end-to-end security, it’s still a highly refined messaging app with tons of neat and useful features. Few platforms approach its ability to communicate with groups on a large scale.
Does Telegram’s new disclosure policy really matter to you?
Telegram’s convenience and vast feature set are all well and good for the upstanding among us. But considerable numbers of users operate somewhat less than above-board, and it appears that Durov’s arrest forced some illicit users off the platform, but apparently not all. Naturally, there’s no way to know whose data the company provided to US officials, although we certainly don’t predict any Android Police readers were among the accounts in question.
Assuming a lack of illegal activity, this revelation shouldn’t have any material effect on most users. In a way, it actually indicates that Telegram is upholding its privacy policy to the letter, and clarity is always a good thing. It also provides a worthwhile reminder to be aware of what platforms you use and how they treat user data.
If complete privacy is important, consider a messaging app other than Telegram. If you truly have nothing to hide and aren’t concerned about being linked in a very roundabout way to bad actors you might not even know, Telegram’s extensive features could still serve you well. In the end, it’s all about consumers having all the necessary information to make the informed decision that’s right for them.
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