Telegram, one of the world’s most popular messaging apps, is updating its privacy policy and terms of service to allow the disclosure of IP addresses and phone numbers of users who violate platform rules. The announcement came from Telegram’s founder, Pavel Durov.
Durov highlighted that Telegram’s powerful search function, which enables users to find public channels and bots, has sometimes been misused for illegal activities such as selling prohibited goods. Over the past few weeks, he said, a dedicated team of moderators, aided by artificial intelligence, significantly enhanced the security of the search function by removing all problematic content.
“To further deter criminals from abusing our search feature, we have updated our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy to ensure global consistency. It is now clearly stated that IP addresses and phone numbers of those violating our rules can be disclosed to the relevant authorities in response to legitimate legal requests,” Durov wrote.
He emphasized that these measures are designed to “deter bad actors” and protect the integrity of the platform, which serves nearly a billion users worldwide.