Telegram changes tack and will now provide user info to governments in response to valid legal requests

The platform changed its terms of service to deter criminals from abusing it, Durov said in a post on Telegram Monday. The move comes less than a month after his arrest in France, where he faces charges of alleged complicity in the spread of child sexual abuse materials. 

The move represents a marked difference from Telegram’s approach to government requests for data and its reputation for lax moderation. The United Arab Emirates-based platform has been notoriously non-responsive to takedown requests from governments around the world, and often ignored requests for information about suspected criminals.

The app, using artificial intelligence and a team of moderators, has now begun to conceal problematic content from its search results as part of its efforts to prevent misuse, Durov said. 

French prosecutors in August charged the Russian-born Durov in connection with alleged crimes committed on the app. The case portrays the billionaire CEO as the head of a company that refused to provide law enforcement with data to assist legal wiretaps on suspected criminals. 

Durov, who has been ordered to remain in France during the investigation, denies the charges.

Under Durov, Telegram has drawn the ire of governments ranging from the European Union to authoritarian regimes in Russia and Iran. It has been used by protesters seeking to organize against the authorities, while also becoming a hub for conspiracy theorists and extremists. 

White supremacists in the US, for instance, for years have used Telegram to coordinate attacks on power infrastructure.

The Kremlin in 2018 attempted to block Telegram, only to reverse course two years later after failing to shut down the service. When the ban was dropped, the Russian regulator said Durov had signaled that he would help counter extremism and terrorism.

Durov’s arrest has led to a number of policy changes at Telegram. Earlier this month, Telegram disabled new media uploads, which Durov said was aimed at stopping bots and scammers.