“We have clarified that the IP addresses and mobile numbers of those who violate our rules may be communicated to authorities in response to valid legal requests,” he announced on his Telegram channel.
Founded in 2013, the messaging service, which has long claimed to respect European law, has since the beginning committed to never disclosing information about its users. Previous rules only regulated collaboration with the justice system if a user was declared a “suspect of terrorist activity” by a court.
Arrested in late August in France, Pavel Durov was charged with various offences related to his messaging app and banned from leaving the country. In a lengthy message on his platform in early September, the 39-year-old billionaire called it “shocking” to be held responsible for content published by others.
950 million users and more at risk
However, he acknowledged that the sharp increase in Telegram users, estimated at 950 million worldwide, had created a situation that “makes it easier for criminals to abuse our platform”. The boss promised to make his message “a source of pride” and announced on September 6 the first round of measures aimed at strengthening it.
