Telegram Updates Privacy Policy: May Disclose User Information Under Legal Requirements

Recently, Telegram founder Pavel Durov announced on his personal channel that the platform will update its privacy policy. According to the new policy, the IP addresses and phone numbers of users who violate the terms of service or abuse public channels for illegal activities may be disclosed to relevant authorities upon receiving a legitimate request. This decision was made after Durov was arrested by French police for allegedly allowing criminal activities to occur on the platform.

Telegram has always been known for its strong privacy protection and security, but in the face of increasing compliance requirements from global regulatory agencies, it has had to make adjustments. This policy update marks an important step for Telegram in terms of compliance.

The Role of Telegram in the Web3 Ecosystem

Telegram has become the preferred platform for many Web3 applications due to its vast user base and open API interface. It not only supports tokens for channel trading activities but also integrates decentralized networks into the application's user interface, covering multiple areas such as decentralized finance, domain names, gaming, and more.

This combination has brought an innovative experience to users while also leading to significant user growth for both parties. For example, the popular click games on Telegram have attracted tens of millions of users into the crypto market through token rewards.

In addition, many blockchain projects choose to maintain their communities on Telegram, utilizing its convenient group and channel features to interact with users and share the latest news and project updates. The numerous bots on the platform provide crypto users with practical functions such as arbitrage trading alerts, data monitoring, and market inquiries.

However, this combination also brings some negative effects. Some criminals use Telegram's privacy features for illegal transactions, money laundering, and even planning terrorist activities, making the platform a tool for illegal activities in certain situations.

Telegram and Illegal Activities

The secret chat, custom privacy settings, and self-destruct features provided by Telegram are intended to protect user privacy, but they are also used by some for illegal purposes. End-to-end encrypted secret chats ensure that the conversation content is only visible to the communicating parties, making regulation more difficult; custom privacy settings allow users to hide personal information, enhancing anonymity; and the message deletion and self-destruction features make it difficult to preserve evidence.

These features have been exploited by some criminals. For example, there have been reports that a certain malware organization sells its services through Telegram groups and makes substantial profits from it. In addition, the platform has also been used by terrorist organizations as a communication tool, as well as being used to organize other serious criminal activities.

The Balance Between Privacy and Compliance

In the face of these challenges, Telegram has begun to take action. In addition to updating its privacy policy, the platform has also established a dedicated team to use AI technology to restrict the spread of illegal content. These measures demonstrate Telegram's commitment to combating illegal activities and protecting user safety.

As a global communication platform, Telegram must seek a balance between protecting user privacy and complying with regulatory requirements. This balance needs to be dynamically adjusted according to the laws of different regions, specific incidents, and application scenarios. By moderately disclosing information about a small number of illegal users, Telegram can prevent further abuse of the platform without affecting the privacy of the majority of users.

The Importance of Compliance

Strengthening compliance regulation can not only provide users with a safer and more trustworthy platform but also lay the foundation for Telegram's long-term development in the global market. However, some cases indicate that pure social software finds it difficult to completely prevent criminal activities, and the circulation of cryptocurrencies is often a key link.

With the widespread use of cryptocurrencies, especially stablecoins in the industry, companies entering the crypto space should establish a comprehensive trading monitoring mechanism to comply with regulations, manage risks, and ensure the healthy development of the platform.