Telegram will now hand over IP addresses, phone numbers of suspects to cops

Telegram updated its Terms of Service and Privacy Policy to allow disclosure of users’ IP addresses and phone numbers to authorities upon valid judicial orders for general criminal investigations, expanding beyond prior terrorism-only cooperation. The move accompanies intensified moderation efforts, reportedly supported by AI, to curb illegal content discoverable via search. This shift follows CEO Pavel Durov’s arrest and charges in France related to alleged non-cooperation and criminal content on the platform, and mirrors prior privacy-service precedents such as ProtonMail’s 2021 cooperation with law enforcement.