Telegram Updates Private Chat Policy Following CEO Pavel Durov's Arrest

Telegram Updates Policy On Private Chat Moderation After CEO Pavel Durov's Arrest: Here's What You Need To Know

Telegram, the social media giant co-founded by Pavel Durov, the Russian-born billionaire indicted in France, has updated its policy on private chat moderation. What Happened: Telegram has retracted a statement from its frequently asked questions, or FAQ page that previously assured users of immunity from moderation requests in private chats, reported The Verge. This development comes Telegram CEO Durov's first public statement post-arrest, in which he committed to improving content moderation on the platform. Durov acknowledged the challenges posed by Telegram's rapid user growth to 950 million, which he said had facilitated misuse of the platform by criminals. He assured that efforts to improve the situation were already underway. See Also: MrBeast Hires Attorney Known For Representing Elon Musk, Alec Baldwin Amid Poor Set Safety Allegations, Criticism From Ex-Employees -- A Good Move? The company's FAQ page has been updated to reflect these changes. Previously, Telegram's response to queries about illegal content stated that all chats were private and not subject to any moderation requests. The updated page now guides users on reporting illegal content to the platform's moderators. However, it is worth noting that Telegram's retracted statement now appears under a different question. It is not clear yet why Telegram has made these changes. Benzinga has reached out to the company for a statement on the matter but did not immediately receive a response. Subscribe to the Benzinga Tech Trends newsletter to get all the latest tech developments delivered to your inbox. Why It Matters: This policy change comes against the backdrop of increasing scrutiny of Telegram's policies. After France, South Korean law enforcement agencies have also initiated an investigation into Telegram for its alleged involvement in the dissemination of sexually explicit deepfake content. Meanwhile, concerns have emerged regarding Telegram's financial stability, which could complicate its planned $30 billion IPO. Despite having over 900 million users, Telegram reported a $108 million loss last year, with revenues totaling $342 million. Check out more of Benzinga's Consumer Tech coverage by following this link. Read Next: Trump Misunderstands Taiwan's Role In Chip Industry, Says Economy Minister: 'The President Has A Lot On His Plate' Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors. Photo courtesy: Unsplash Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs

Telegram quietly makes this 'big change' to its FAQ page on private chats after CEO Pavel Durov's arrest - Times of India

Telegram is changing. And the reason appears none other than the recent 4-day detention of its CEO Pavel Durov in France. The company seems to have acknowledged that it does have a problem on its platform, though not-so directly. As reported by The Verge, Telegram has quietly removed language from its FAQ page that said private chats were protected from moderation requests.This change comes almost two weeks after its Durov arrest in France. Telegram CEO was charged in France for failing to stop the spread of illicit content on the app, including child sex abuse material and drug sales Changes on Telgram FAQ page According to the report, some of those changes appear to be already taking effect as the company's FAQ page has changed in the last 24 hours. The response in the section "There's illegal content on Telegram. How do I take it down?" is has reportedly changed. Earlier, the Telegram's response to this question read: "All Telegram chats and group chats are private amongst their participants. We do not process any requests related to them." Now, this response has been removed. Instead, it now says: "All Telegram apps have 'Report' buttons that let you flag illegal content for our moderators -- in just a few taps. On Telegram for Android, tap the message and select Report from the menu. On iOS, press and hold the message. On Telegram Desktop, Web or Telegram for macOS, right-click the message and select Report. Then choose an appropriate reason." In a first, Telegram CEO accepts issues with the platform Law enforcement agencies are said to be upset with Durov for taking a mostly hands-off approach to moderating content on the app. He is reported to have declined to respond to legal requests or cooperate with law enforcement agencies. However, in his first post on Telegram since his arrest, Pavel accepted issues with the platform, he also said that Telegram has been cooperative with EU requests and that the site takes down millions of harmful posts each day. "All of that does not mean Telegram is perfect," he wrote. "But the claims in some media that Telegram is some sort of anarchic paradise are absolutely untrue." Durov said he plans to improve the way the site handles harmful content and make it easier for authorities to send requests to the app. The TOI Tech Desk is a dedicated team of journalists committed to delivering the latest and most relevant news from the world of technology to readers of The Times of India. TOI Tech Desk's news coverage spans a wide spectrum across gadget launches, gadget reviews, trends, in-depth analysis, exclusive reports and breaking stories that impact technology and the digital universe. Be it how-tos or the latest happenings in AI, cybersecurity, personal gadgets, platforms like WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and more; TOI Tech Desk brings the news with accuracy and authenticity.

Telegram CEO Pavel Durov pledges to 'significantly improve' the site, days after arrest

Pavel Durov, chief executive officer of Telegram, at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, on Feb. 23, 2016.Chris Ratcliffe / Bloomberg via Getty Images file Pavel Durov, the co-founder and CEO of Telegram, has pledged to "significantly improve" the moderation of criminal activity on his messaging app, 12 days after he was arrested in France. Durov wrote on his Telegram channel Thursday that he is aware of criticism about the app's lack of oversight, and that changes are in the works. "We've already started that process internally, and I will share more details on our progress with you very soon," Durov posted on his Telegram channel, the first public comment he has made since his arrest. Paris prosecutors charged Durov, a multi-billionaire who is well known in technology circles, with a variety of crimes last week in relation to an investigation into Telegram, including complicity in administering an online platform permitting illicit transactions by an organized group and complicity in offenses related to child sexual abuse material. Founded in 2013, Telegram has generally been associated with a reluctance to do much moderation or to work with governments. The site's terms of service say there is no way to report illegal activity in private chats. In a rare interview with the right-wing personality Tucker Carlson in April, Durov bragged that he often ignored government requests. Outside organizations that work with tech platforms to assist in moderation have similarly found it challenging to work with the app. The three primary groups that work with governments around the world to take down child sexual abuse material (CSAM) online have told NBC News that Telegram is unique in completely ignoring their outreach. Telegram claims to take down public channels publishing CSAM each day, using a combination of moderators and artificial intelligence. Durov seemed to concede in his post Thursday that his policy of not abiding government requests for allegedly illegal activity on the platform may not be tenable. "Even the fact that authorities could be confused by where to send requests is something that we should improve," he wrote.