Telegram CEO Pavel Durov Reaffirms Commitment to User Privacy

Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov on Wednesday emphasized that the messaging platform is built to shield activists and ordinary people from “corrupt governments.” Addressing concerns about potential changes to Telegram’s privacy policy. Durov clarified that while the company cooperates with legal authorities when necessary, its foundational principles remain unchanged.

“Telegram was built to protect activists and ordinary people from corrupt governments and corporations,” he said. “We do not allow criminals to abuse our platform or evade justice.”

Durov added that since 2018, the messaging app has had the ability to share the IP addresses and phone numbers of criminals with law enforcement—provided the legal requests are properly formed and verified.

Sharing data on Telegram’s cooperation with legal requests, he noted that the platform has adhered to requests in multiple countries. For example, Durov said the company disclosed data in response to more than 200 legal requests in Brazil this year. In India, Telegram’s largest market, the platform processed almost 7,000 requests since the start of the year.

This year, European authorities also increased the use of the official communication channel, in compliance with the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), resulting in a higher number of requests during Q3.

Despite the disclosure of data under specific circumstances, Durov made it clear that Telegram’s policies have not fundamentally changed. The company recently streamlined its privacy policy to align with its principles across different regions.

“Our core principles haven’t changed,” Durov stated, reiterating that while Telegram strives to comply with relevant local laws, this compliance does not come at the cost of compromising its values of freedom and privacy.”