Telegram will share more of your data with governments, says CEO

Key findings

  • Telegram's CEO is now willing to release more data to governments upon request.
  • E2EE provides criminals with an opportunity to hide, resulting in changes to the app's terms of use.
  • A balance must be maintained between catching criminals and protecting users' freedom of expression.



Because Telegram uses end-to-end encryption (E2EE) with its Secret Chats feature, it has earned a good reputation among privacy-conscious people who want to chat without others watching. As with privacy-focused services like this, E2EE is a double-edged sword: it prevents criminals from spying on innocent victims' data, but it also makes it harder to track down criminals who use the service for malicious purposes. Now, Telegram's CEO Pavel Durov has stated that they will share more data with governments upon request.

CEO: Telegram will disclose more personal data upon request

iPhone model with Telegram login on the screen and the page text


As reported by BloombergTelegram's CEO Pavel Durov has found himself in a difficult position. Telegram supports E2EE to protect users' data, but it has also enabled criminals to use the service to hide their evil deeds from law enforcement. Because of this, prosecutors in France have accused Telegram of facilitating criminal activities by refusing to share personal information about its users.

However, a change to the app's terms of service suggests Telegram may have been the first to give in. The terms now state that Telegram will disclose a user's IP address and phone number if it receives “valid legal requests” from a government entity. This is likely in the hope of averting the recent legal battle the company has attracted of late.


Much like the E2EE, this new rule is a double-edged sword. This new stance will allow law enforcement to work with Telegram to catch and arrest those who use the platform for nefarious acts, but some may fear that it will allow governments to peek into their own citizens' discussions and compromise their freedom of speech. In this case, it will come down to how vigilant Telegram is in allowing “valid legal requests” for personal information and when it draws the line.

Still, this announcement alone could be enough to get people to leave the platform. And while there are services like Google Messages that use E2EE, it may take a while for people who leave Telegram to find a home that will really Trust.


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