Durov claimed the right to disclose IP addresses and phone numbers of Telegram rule violators

Phone numbers and IP addresses of violators of Telegram messenger rules may be disclosed to the relevant authorities in response to reasonable requests from them. This was announced by the founder of the social network Pavel Durov on September 23.

He said that attackers began to abuse the search in Telegram, which allows you to find not only publicly available channels, but also to see the channels of "bots". Because of this, there were users who violated the terms of service and privacy policy of the messenger in order to organize sales of illegal goods. To deter criminals from abusing Telegram search, the messenger has updated its terms of service and privacy policy to ensure uniformity across the globe.

"We have made it clear that IP addresses and phone numbers of those who violate our policies can be disclosed to the appropriate authorities in response to valid legal requests. These measures should deter criminals," Durov pointed out in his personal Telegram channel.

The Telegram creator emphasized that the messenger is designed to find friends and news, not to promote illegal goods.

"We will not allow attackers to jeopardize the integrity of our platform, which has almost a billion users," he summarized.

Prior to that, on September 20, Le Figaro reported that Durov had agreed to cooperate with an investigation in France, triggering requests for information from several states at once. According to the newspaper, Durov agreed to remove the "People Nearby" feature, tighten the moderation of content sharing on the platform and disclose anonymous data of some users. The US, the Republic of Korea and Belgium have since sent requests for such data.

Durov was detained on the evening of August 24 at Paris' Le Bourget airport. He was charged with a number of offenses that include drug distribution, a crime against children, money laundering and fraud. The Telegram platform team said it complies with all European Union (EU) laws, including the Digital Services Act. French President Emmanuel Macron said the businessman's detention was not related to politics.

On August 26, Durov was released from custody on his own recognizance and a bail of €5 million. The court confiscated his passports for the period of investigation and ordered the businessman to live in Paris at a specific address. The French prosecutor's office told Izvestia on September 6 that the businessman will be able to seek a change in the rules of his judicial control and their relaxation. Paris prosecutor Laure Becco said on September 11 that the Telegram founder's case is exemplary in the fight against cybercrime.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on September 5 at the plenary session of the IX Eastern Economic Forum (WEF-2024) that Russia had no claims against the Telegram founder, unlike the authorities of other countries. He pointed out that the claims from other countries arose against the background of the use of Telegram by individuals and structures that could harm the economy or security through their activities.