- Telegram has updated its policies, allowing moderators to intervene in private chats when content is flagged for review
- Moderators have previously only been permitted to monitor public group chats for privacy reasons
- The crypto community, a major Telegram user base, has expressed concerns over these quiet changes
Telegram has changed key policies following the arrest of its CEO, Pavel Durov, with moderators now allowed to intervene in private chats if content is flagged. Until now, moderators have only been allowed to intervene in public group chats, but if content is flagged in private discussions, they can now be investigated for illegal content. Telegram is the app of choice for the crypto community when it comes to one-to-one discussion, and many will not like the changes that have quietly taken place.
Durov Arrest Prompts Changes
Durov was arrested in France last month amid allegations that Telegram has been used for distributing child sexual abuse material and by organized crime networks involved in drug trafficking and fraud. Furthermore, Telegram has been accused of refusing to cooperate with investigators by withholding crucial information and documents.
Durov himself has been barred from leaving France while the investigation proceeds but has avoided custody after posting a €5 million bail. In response to the allegations, Telegram asserted that it complies with EU laws and that its content moderation efforts are “within industry standards and constantly improving.” The company dismissed the notion that a platform or its owner could be held responsible for the misuse of the platform by others.
However, the truth may be a little different. The company last night tweaked its FAQs over the privacy of group chats and private chats:
Telegram quietly updates FAQ, removing:
“All Telegram chats and group chats are private amongst their participants. We do not process any requests related to them.” pic.twitter.com/ajWOOBAAB5
— db (@tier10k) September 6, 2024
The change means that if content in a private conversation is flagged as illegal by participants, Telegram moderators can investigate it and potentially take action. This suggests that the company is looking to increase its compliance and reduce the risk of it being sanctioned.
Durov Gives Update on Situation
Durov himself took to Telegram yesterday to issue a lengthy explainer of his situation, where he explained that he “may be personally responsible for other people’s illegal use of Telegram” and added that claims that Telegram is “some sort of anarchic paradise are absolutely untrue”:
Privacy advocates were understandably up in arms over the move, but it seems that Telegram is finding itself being forced to change if it wants to stay active. Durov’s situation, of course, is going to need more than a simple FAQ change.
