by Telegram founder and chief executive Pavel Durov said Monday that the messaging platform had removed more problematic content, weeks after his arrest in France on charges of failing to act against criminals using the app.Telegram’s search feature has been abused by people who violated our terms of service to sell illegal goods, Durov told the 13 million subscribers of his personal messaging channel.
Over the past few weeks staff had combed through Telegram using artificial intelligence to ensure all the problematic content we identified in Search is no longer accessible, he said.
Durov added that the platform had updated its terms of service and privacy policy to make clear that it would share infringers’ details with authorities—including internet IP addresses and phone numbers—in response to valid legal requests.
Furthermore, Telegram updated its terms of service and privacy policy to make it clear that the company would share infringers’ details with authorities in response to valid legal requests. This includes sharing internet IP addresses and phone numbers.
Durov emphasized that the platform would not tolerate bad actors who could potentially jeopardize the integrity of the platform for its almost billion users.
On August 24, 2021, Durov was arrested at Le Bourget airport outside Paris while on a private jet. He was charged with several counts of failing to curb extremist and terrorist content and was released on a €5 million ($5.6 million) bail. During the investigation, Durov must remain in France and report to the police twice a week.
Initially, Durov criticized his arrest, but he later announced steps to appease Paris’s demands. On September 6, 2021, he announced that Telegram would alter its “People Nearby” feature to present users with legitimate businesses instead of bots and scammers.
Durov, an elusive figure with an estimated fortune of $15.5 billion according to Forbes magazine, is known for his ascetic lifestyle that includes ice baths and abstaining from alcohol and coffee.
