Telegram was charged by French prosecutors of supporting organized crime and not assisting law enforcement.
The popular messaging app Telegram, which has a strong privacy posture, is coming under increasing scrutiny for how it handles user data after its CEO was arrested this summer. Debates concerning the platform's privacy commitment have been sparked by recent reports that indicate it has been sharing user information with authorities more frequently.
The Arrest That Changed Everything
As part of an investigation into illegal actions purportedly enabled by the app, Telegram CEO Pavel Durov, a dual citizen of France and Russia, was detained in France in August 2024. Telegram was charged by French prosecutors of supporting organized crime and not assisting law enforcement.
After being detained for a few days, Durov was released with an agreement to change. He promised to deal with the criminal use of Telegram and to give authorities user information, including IP addresses and phone numbers.
Tracking the Data Sharing
The transparency bot on Telegram provides insight into the volume of demands for user data from law enforcement in different nations. However, a closer look by two researchers, one of whom is connected to Human Rights Watch, has shown that these activities have sharply increased, especially in the last few months of 2024.
A worrying trend can be seen in the researchers' work, which can be found on a GitHub page that is open to the public. Although information isn't available for every nation, the following figures have emerged and are noteworthy:
- Authorities in France, Germany, and the United States targeted almost 2,000 users in all.
- Several hundred more came from the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, and the United Kingdom.
This spike in requests for data sharing begs the question of how Telegram's privacy policy is changing.
The Privacy Debate Continues
As part of the EU's Digital Services Act, which aims to stop illicit online activity, a forthcoming DSA transparency report is scheduled later this month. This action will only heighten the existing privacy controversy.
Despite the research may provide insight into the scope of data-sharing procedures, many users are still worried about how the platform strikes a balance between privacy and legal compliance. Telegram's ability to safeguard user privacy while complying with authorities will undoubtedly impact how it advances in the digital industry as it works through this difficult issue.
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