It turns out Telegram has been busy behind the scenes, fulfilling 900 requests from the US for user data in 2024.
These requests included personal details like IP addresses and phone numbers, impacting a total of 2,253 users.
Give me your data!
So, what’s the story here, and it is a big deal or not? Most of these inquiries came pouring in after Telegram’s CEO, Pavel Durov, was arrested in France back in August.
A January 7 report from 404 Media, between January and September 2024, Telegram responded to just 14 requests for IP addresses and phone numbers.
But after October hit, the number of inquiries skyrocketed to 900 for the entire year.
Terms of service
Durov found himself in hot water with French authorities over claims that Telegram was being used to facilitate criminal activities, but he later revealed that since 2018, the platform has been handing over IP addresses and phone numbers of suspected criminals to various countries upon request.
This little tidbit is actually part of Telegram’s privacy policy, so everyone know about it.
Popularity
As of now, Durov is stuck in France due to ongoing legal proceedings. In case of the platform, he shared that Telegram boasts over 950 million monthly active users, and it’s not a big surprise, but many in the crypto community have shown a preference for using this messaging app.
While Telegram continues to grow its user base, it’s also navigating some serious legal waters.
With all these requests for data flying around, it raises important questions about privacy and how much information we’re willing to share on platforms like this.
