Telegram, the social media platform, disclosed more user data in the 3 last months of 2024 than a combination of the first and second quarter according to 404 media.
The company is said to have disclosed 108 telegram users’ data to US law enforcement from the start of last year to September, satisfying 14 user data requests from authority.
However, the numbers spiked from October to December where the company is said to have disclosed 2,145 user data, fulfilling 886 requests of the US law enforcement.
What does it mean?
Telegram made a major privacy shift last year where the company announced they will be open to sharing user data, including IP addresses and phone numbers, with law enforcement in a course to combat cybercrime and other illegal activities on the platform.
Pavel Durov, CEO of Telegram, in a post announcing the privacy shift:
“To further deter criminals from abusing Telegram Search, we have updated our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, ensuring they are consistent across the world. We’ve made it clear that the IP addresses and phone numbers of those who violate our rules can be disclosed to relevant authorities in response to valid legal requests.”
The privacy shift was linked to his arrest in France, as security officials believed he was over protecting telegram users by not working with them.
Durov was arrested in September, and afterward, an unprecedented surge in data disclosure.
This should serve as a caution to others using the platform for illegal activities.
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