Telegram’s pivot to a law-abiding platform: fulfilled requests of user data have skyrocketed

Trimming corners: Telegram is now actively cooperating with US agencies, providing IP addresses, phone numbers and other important information to identify users. According to data presented in a recent report, the instant messaging platform carried out 900 data requests from Washington, affecting a total of 2,253 individual users on the network.

Telegram, once known as a haven for cybercriminals and white supremacists, appears to be evolving into a more law-abiding platform. Latest data released 404 Media confirm this dramatic shift, as US authorities account for the majority of user identification requests.

The number of completed data requests increased sharply in the last quarter of 2024, the Telegram transparency bot showed. From January 1 to September 30, the company responded to just 14 requests involving 108 users. However, most of the requests came between October and December, and Telegram seemed eager to fulfill them.

Telegram CEO Pavel Durov was arrested by French authorities this summer and was released only after paying a €5 million fine and promising to cooperate with French authorities. Soon after the incident Telegram has revised its policy and terms of service, stating that the company will promptly disclose users’ IP addresses and phone numbers to authorities when necessary.

The messaging platform’s latest quarterly transparency report appears to confirm the effectiveness of these policy changes.

Telegram now has a dedicated team of moderators tasked with tackling crime-related issues on the platform. The team uses artificial intelligence tools to identify illegal content and illegal behavior, while regular users are encouraged to report any illegal activity they encounter on the service.

After Durov’s arrest, many well-known criminals who conduct private chats on Telegram announced that they would leave the platform forever. How recent Europol investigation into “Ghost” illustrates, no messaging platform is private enough to operate organized crime syndicates or other illegal operations.

Durov recently emphasized that the vast majority of Telegram users are not involved in criminal activities. However, with billions of users around the world, even a very small portion (eg 0.001%) involved in cybercrimes or lawbreaking poses a serious problem. According to a recent analysis, drug traffickers, terrorist organizations and other notorious groups showed particular preference for Telegram chats.