That makes Telegram such an attractive platform for criminals, says Rolf van Wegberg, cybercrime researcher at TU Delft. “On WhatsApp you cannot simply find groups or become members. But on Telegram you can join groups where drugs or weapons are sold, for example, without having to be a member.”
Adjusted policy after founder’s arrest
In August, Durov was arrested near Paris. Justice in France holds him partly responsible for the criminal activities on Telegram, including by not cooperating with the authorities.
A month later, Telegram announced that the company will now share suspect data if investigative authorities request it. This concerns telephone numbers and IP addresses. Due to current cases, the Public Prosecution Service does not want to go into detail about what user data it receives.
A spokesperson does say that Telegram has handed over data in twenty cases since the end of September after the Public Prosecution Service requested information. Previously, the investigative authorities often received no response to the request.
Durov himself says that ‘in reality little has changed’. He claims that European investigative authorities in the past simply did not go to the right place.
“Our core principles have not changed. We have always strived to comply with relevant local law – as long as it did not go against our values of freedom and privacy,” said Durov. He has been out on bail since his arrest but is allowed to enter France don’t leave.
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