Telegram, one of the most downloaded apps in the world with over 900 million active users, will now provide users’ phone numbers and IP addresses to law enforcement, provided there is a valid legal request and the user has violated the platform’s rules. This policy change was announced by Telegram CEO Pavel Durov on September 23rd in an update to the platform’s privacy policy.

The revised policy, which goes beyond previous guidelines that limited sharing sensitive information to terror-related cases, now applies to any criminal activity that violates Telegram’s Terms of Service.

Durov explained that Telegram will only disclose user information after receiving a valid court order that confirms the individual is a suspect in criminal activities that breach the platform’s Terms of Service. Furthermore, Telegram will also conduct a legal analysis of the request before complying with it.

To maintain transparency, Durov also committed to publishing any data disclosures in a quarterly transparency report, which will be available via a dedicated Telegram bot. However, this bot is still being updated, and it may be a few days before it reaches full functionality.

In addition to the privacy policy changes, Telegram has implemented improvements to its search function, aiming to combat abuse of the feature to promote illegal goods. Telegram is urging users to report illegal or unsafe material using the @SearchReport bot, with a dedicated moderation team tasked with reviewing all submissions. Durov emphasized that they will not allow malicious individuals to compromise the integrity of the platform.

This update comes shortly after Durov’s legal troubles in France, where he was arrested in connection with an investigation into the use of Telegram for illegal activities, including fraud and drug trafficking. Although released on bail, Durov has been instructed not to leave the country as investigations continue.

The platform also faces scrutiny from Ukraine’s National Coordination Centre for Cybersecurity (NCCC). It recently banned the app on devices used by government agencies, military units, and critical infrastructure, citing national security concerns.

Users who are apprehensive about the privacy risks related to this app can find helpful advice on how to use it safely in this article.