Telegram quietly updates its privacy policy, removes privacy guarantee after CEO Pavel Durov arrest

Telegram has quietly updated its privacy policy in the wake of Pavel Durov’s arrest by the French government in August. This change was noticed after posts on social media highlighted a modification in Telegram’s FAQ, specifically the removal of a statement asserting that all chats and group conversations were private and not subject to external requests.

According to a series of posts circulating on Social media, Telegram quietly updated its FAQ, removing the statement:  “All Telegram chats and group chats are private amongst their participants. We do not process any requests related to them.”

The screenshot of the before and after changes to the FAQ section is shown in X’s post below.

Elon Musk commented on these updates, noting their significance. However, the community on X (formerly Twitter) provided additional context, revealing that while the specific line was removed from one FAQ section, it is still present in another part of their FAQ.

“Interesting,” Musk said.

Interesting https://t.co/cNJjTgOQGt

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 6, 2024

Is Telegram Compromised? Is There a Government Backdoor?

Telegram’s Privacy has been under scrutiny since the arrest of Pavel Durov on August 24 causing many to question if  Telegram has compromised its privacy. Recent reports suggest that Telegram will now begin moderating private chats, a departure from its previous stance.

In a piece titled, “Telegram changes its tone on moderating private chats after CEO’s arrest,” the Verge wrote:

“Telegram has quietly removed language from its FAQ page saying private chats were protected and that “we do not process any requests related to them.” The change comes nearly two weeks after its CEO, Pavel Durov, was arrested in France for allegedly allowing “criminal activity to go on undeterred on the messaging app.””

Meanwhile, Telegram spokesperson Remi Vaughn has clarified that the app’s source code remains unchanged.

“Private chats continue to be private. Users can report any new incoming chats to moderators using the Block > Report feature. Telegram’s open-source code is available for review, confirming that no modifications have been made,” Vaughn said.

This move has sparked concern among users. One Reddit user questioned if this shift could signal the end of Telegram, while another pointed out that group chats are not end-to-end encrypted, raising doubts about Telegram’s commitment to privacy compared to apps like Signal.

“Surely Telegram chats no longer being private means that Telegram will be no longer,” one Reddit user said.

“Group chats are NEVER end-to-end encrypted. Wonder why signal is banned in Russia and telegram is allowed? They have access to everything…,” another Reddit user added.

Telegram Privacy and Government Surveillance

On Thursday evening, Durov made his first public statement since his arrest, announcing a commitment to increase content moderation on the platform. This marks a significant shift in tone from the company’s earlier assertion that he had “nothing to hide.”

“Telegram’s abrupt increase in user count to 950M caused growing pains that made it easier for criminals to abuse our platform,” he wrote in the statement shared on Thursday. “That’s why I made it my personal goal to ensure we significantly improve things in this regard. We’ve already started that process internally, and I will share more details on our progress with you very soon.”

I'm still trying to understand what happened in France. But we hear the concerns. I made it my personal goal to prevent abusers of Telegram's platform from interfering with the future of our 950+ million users.

My full post below. https://t.co/cDvRSodjst

— Pavel Durov (@durov) September 5, 2024

Durov, who founded Telegram to offer secure end-to-end encrypted messaging, has faced ongoing speculation about Russian influence over the platform. He has consistently denied these claims, attributing them to competitors concerned about Telegram’s influence.