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Telegram founder Pavel Durov announced on his channel that “IP addresses and phone numbers of those who violate our rules can be disclosed to relevant authorities in response to valid legal requests.” Previously, the messengers' administrators had a reputation for declining to provide such information to state authorities.
Durov also noted that the messenger’s Telegram Search function, which allows users to find public channels and bots, has sometimes been exploited by illegal goods traders who have violated Telegram’s policies. As a response, Durov said that all “problematic content” identified in searches has been removed, and he urges users to report any “unsafe or illegal” content to a dedicated bot.
Earlier, French media outlets Le Figaro and Libération reported that Pavel Durov had begun cooperating with law enforcement agencies in France and other countries following his detention in Paris. French police had previously claimed that getting a response from Telegram's administration for information on suspects involved in crimes against children was nearly impossible.
Pavel Durov was detained on Aug. 24 at Paris's Le Bourget Airport. He faces accusations of involvement in drug trafficking and the distribution of child pornography, as well as refusing to provide information in response to government requests. Durov does not stand accused of participating directly in such activities, but of bearing responsibility for violations of law committed by others who used Telegram to further their own criminal acts. He was released on bail a few days after his arrest, with an obligation to regularly report to the police.
Pavel Durov, alongside his brother Nikolai, launched Telegram in Aug. 2013, with Nikolai responsible for developing the technology behind the cloud-based messaging platform. Telegram, headquartered in Dubai, now boasts over 950 million active users worldwide, according to the company. Forbes last estimated Pavel Durov's net worth at $15.5 billion.
The platform remains among the few avenues available to Russian citizens looking to bypass government censorship amid an increasingly stringent crackdown on the country’s information space.