Telegram, the messaging platform, has announced a significant change in its approach to user privacy, stating it will provide users’ IP addresses and phone numbers to authorities that present valid legal requests, such as search warrants.

CEO Pavel Durov explained in a Telegram post on Monday that this modification to their terms of service and privacy policy aims to “discourage criminals.” He acknowledged that while 99.999% of Telegram users are law-abiding, the 0.001% engaged in criminal activities tarnish the platform’s reputation and jeopardize the interests of its nearly billion users.

This policy shift marks a notable departure for Durov, who was detained by French authorities last month at an airport near Paris. Following his release, prosecutors charged him with facilitating criminal activity on the platform, including aiding in the distribution of child abuse images and drug trafficking, as well as failing to comply with law enforcement requests. Durov has denied these allegations and criticized the authorities for holding him accountable for third-party crimes.

Critics of Telegram have pointed out that it has become a breeding ground for misinformation, child pornography, and terrorist-related content, partly due to its capacity for hosting large groups of up to 200,000 members. In comparison, Meta-owned WhatsApp limits group sizes to 1,000 members.

This week, Ukraine banned the app from government-issued devices to mitigate security threats posed by Russia. Durov’s arrest has sparked a wider debate about the implications for free speech protections on the internet, with concerns raised about whether Telegram remains a safe platform for political dissidents, as noted by John Scott-Railton, a senior researcher at the University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab.

Cybersecurity experts have pointed out that while Telegram has previously removed certain groups, its moderation system for extremist and illegal content is less robust than those of other social media and messaging platforms. Prior to this policy update, Telegram provided information only on suspected terrorists, according to 404 Media.

In a recent announcement, Durov stated that Telegram has established “a dedicated team of moderators” using artificial intelligence to filter problematic content from search results. However, Daphne Keller from Stanford University’s Center for Internet and Society has expressed skepticism about whether these changes will meet French or European legal standards, noting that platforms are often mandated to report specific types of illegal content, such as child sexual abuse material.

She questioned if the recent policy alterations would adequately address authorities’ demands for details about individuals under investigation, including their communications and message content.