Telegram’s Rising Data Requests: A Shift in Transparency?
In a recent release, Telegram has unveiled a significant uptick in data requests it fulfilled for law enforcement agencies over the past year. This revelation marks a notable shift in the messaging app’s approach to user data privacy, especially following the arrest of CEO Pavel Durov by French authorities last August. Durov’s arrest was linked to Telegram’s earlier stance of withholding user data in child exploitation investigations.
Following these events, Telegram seems to have adjusted its policy on handling abuse reports. The latest transparency report—accessible only through a Telegram account and specific to the user’s region—indicates that U.S. authorities received phone numbers and IP addresses from Telegram on 900 occasions in 2024, impacting 2,253 users.
- Telegram responded to 14 requests affecting 108 users earlier in 2024.
- Data handed over to Indian authorities on 14,641 occasions, impacting 23,535 users.
- The UK saw 142 data requests fulfilled, affecting 293 users, a jump from previous single-digit figures.
“The increasing number of data requests fulfilled by Telegram highlights a crucial change in its privacy policies,”
{TechCrunch contributors Carly Page and Jagmeet Singh}
This shift in Telegram’s transparency practices sheds light on the growing pressure tech companies face in balancing user privacy with law enforcement demands. As these dynamics continue to evolve, users and privacy advocates alike will be keenly observing how such policies affect their digital rights.
