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Telegram Changes Policy, Says It Will Provide User Data to Authorities

Joseph Cox Joseph Cox
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In an update to its privacy policy, Telegram says it will now share IP addresses and phone numbers to authorities in response to valid orders. The change is a dramatic switch for the social network app, which has become a hotbed for criminals.
The Telegram app.
Image: Christian Wiediger/Unsplash.
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Telegram updated its privacy policy on Monday to say that the company will provide user data, such as IP addresses and phone numbers, to law enforcement agencies in response to a valid legal order.

The news is a significant shift in Telegram’s policies on providing data to law enforcement. It comes after French authorities arrested Telegram’s CEO Pavel Durov in August, in part due to Telegram’s refusal to hand over data in response to lawful orders.

“If Telegram receives a valid order from the relevant judicial authorities that confirms you're a suspect in a case involving criminal activities that violate the Telegram Terms of Service, we will perform a legal analysis of the request and may disclose your IP address and phone number to the relevant authorities,” the privacy policy read on Monday. 

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