Telegram has disclosed criminal data to authorities for years, Durov says

Telegram founder Pavel Durov clarified that recent terms-of-service changes mainly codify long-standing practices of sharing IP addresses and phone numbers of dangerous criminals with authorities upon valid legal requests, citing increased request volumes in Brazil, India, and parts of Europe. The announcement prompted concern among cybercriminal and hacktivist communities—e.g., Ghosts of Palestine, RipperSec, and Al Ahad—some of whom are exploring moves to platforms like Discord and Signal, though no mass exodus has occurred; Telegram also touted AI-driven improvements to curb illicit content in search.