Telegram recently updated its Q&A page, removing references to not handling “any requests related” to private chats and groups. This update follows the arrest of the company’s founder, Pavel Durov, in France. Authorities are investigating his involvement in third-party crimes on the platform, including the distribution of child abuse material and drug trafficking.
Previously, Telegram’s FAQ section under “There is illegal content on Telegram. How do I remove it?” suggested that private conversations were exempt from moderation. It stated, “All Telegram and group chats are private between their participants. We do not process any requests related to them.”
The revised policy now clarifies that Telegram users can report illegal content easily through the app. Reports can be submitted with just a few taps. The platform emphasizes that private conversations remain private, but users can report inappropriate new messages by selecting “Block > Report.”
“Telegram has always allowed users to report messages from any group to moderators, similar to forwarding,” explained Telegram spokesperson Jonathan Rose.
Changes in Telegram
The update to Telegram’s policy was made shortly after Pavel Durov, the platform’s founder, issued a public statement on Thursday (5th). Durov explained that Telegram’s rapid growth, with over 950 million users, had created opportunities for misuse of the platform.
In his statement, Durov reaffirmed his commitment to strengthening the platform’s control mechanisms to prevent abuse: “I have made it my personal goal to ensure we significantly improve in this area. We’ve already started working on it internally, and I’ll provide more details on our progress soon.”
In addition to enhancing in-app reporting options, Telegram also introduced an email address for users to send specific links for automatic content removal requests, allowing moderators to assess the content.
Durov’s arrest occurred after French authorities accused Telegram of not cooperating with investigations into crimes like drug trafficking and the spread of child sexual abuse material. In response, Durov criticized the accusations, arguing that platform managers should not be held accountable for the actions of third parties using the service.
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