Telegram Uses AI To Filter Problematic Data, Will Share User Info To Authorities

Telegram's CEO Pavel Durov agreed to provide user IP addresses and phone numbers to authorities in response to valid legal requests.

Following his arrest in France last month, Durov, who previously resisted government demands for user data, changed Telegram's terms of service to prevent criminals from exploiting the app, per Bloomberg's report.

French authorities allege Telegram, with its reputation for protecting privacy and using encryption, has become a hub for criminal activities.

Durov, a dual French-Russian national, denied these charges, stating the misuse of technology should not be blamed on its creators. He remains prohibited from leaving the country after being released on a $5.5 million bail.

Amid legal troubles, Telegram has announced new measures to combat misuse of the platform. Durov revealed the company began using artificial intelligence and human moderation to filter problematic content from search results.

“We've already started this process internally,” he stated, adding that more details will be shared soon.

The European Union has been tightening regulations on encrypted communication, even debating proposals such as client-side or on-device scanning of private messages and photos — measures that Al Jazeera characterized as "Orwelian."

Meredith Whittaker, president of Signal, reflected on such measures earlier this year, stating “There is no way to implement such proposals without undermining encryption and creating vulnerabilities.”

Preston Bryne, a senior fellow at the Adam Smith Institute, raised concerns about the broader implications of Durov's case for online censorship.

“European states are trying to dictate to foreign companies what content they can and cannot host,” he noted, likening the situation to selective enforcement targeting political adversaries.

French President Emmanuel Macron dismissed those allegations calling them "a part of an independent investigation," per Le Monde.

This decision is certain to impact Telegram's business model, which was rooted in the platform's commitment to protecting users’ privacy. Even before this turnaround, the company's financials were not stellar, as, according to documents obtained by the Financial Times, as it lost $259 million in 2023.

It is unclear whether the possible user exodus might benefit competitors like Signal or WhatsApp. Following the news, Meta Platform Inc.'s META stock closed at a new all-time high of $573.98

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