Durov gets in touch, Telegram updates policy

Pavel Durov, the founder of social media network and messaging app Telegram, made his first post on his channel after being detained in France.

Durov thanked his subscribers for their support and said that French police questioned him for four days. He brought up the allegations against him and the situation itself was surprising because, as he noted in his post, Telegram has an official representative in the European Union, which usually deals with requests.

Yes, we stand by our principles: our experience is shaped by our mission to protect our users in authoritarian regimes. But we have always been open to dialogue.

He added that Telegram is in contact with regulators to find the right balance between privacy and security, and that many malicious channels and posts are being removed every day. But the messaging app is still flawed: authorities can get confused about where to send requests, and there is room for improvement.

The businessman assured that Telegram removes “millions of malicious posts and channels” every day, publishes transparency reports and has direct communication lines with NGOs to quickly process urgent moderation requests.

Durov said the rapid growth in the number of Telegram users has led to “growing pains” that make it easier for criminals to exploit the platform, so he set a personal goal to achieve significant improvements.

Telegram updates policy due to problems in France

Following Durov’s arrest, the Telegram team updated its policy, allowing users to report illegal content in private chats to moderators.

Telegram’s Report bot. Source: crypto.news

According to a cached copy of the page, it was previously stated that all chats and group chats on Telegram, except for channels and bots, are private, and the messaging administration does not process any requests related to them.

Now, the section says that all Telegram groups have “Report” buttons that allow users to report illegal content to moderators “with just a few taps.” To do this, users will need to tap or hold on the message, and then a menu will appear showing where that button should be.

Source: Telegram

According to its FAQ page, Telegram’s policy was recently updated on September 5, stating that the messaging moderator is not processing private chat requests.

Six charges and €5 million bail

Durov was charged with six counts, including complicity in the activities of an organized group, managing an internet platform where illegal transactions were carried out, refusal to provide information upon request by authorized bodies, and money laundering.

Durov was released from custody on August 28 in a courtroom on several conditions. In order to remain free for as long as possible, he must meet three conditions: pay a €5 million bail, report to the police twice a week and not change his place of residence. Durov can choose the place himself, but must report the address to law enforcement. This is not considered house arrest – the businessman can leave the house but cannot change his address.

The prosecutor’s office said that the investigation into the Telegram owner’s case could take several months. After that, investigators will decide whether to close the case or send it to criminal court with a reclassification of crimes. There, the investigating judges will also decide whether to close the case or schedule a hearing.

When the investigating judges consider that they have completed the investigation, which may take several months, the case is closed. The prosecutor’s office decides to close the case if necessary or reclassifies the crimes and sends them to the criminal court. The investigating judges then decide to close the case or hold a hearing.

Durov also refused to accept diplomatic assistance from Russia and the UAE, according to Politico. The source said he refused consular protection from Russia and a visit by a representative from the UAE consulate, but agreed to inform the UAE embassy:

We are in contact with the French authorities and Pavel Durov’s representatives regarding this incident.

Is Telegram guilty or not?

In many ways, the question of Telegram’s culpability is rather rhetorical. With nearly a billion users, it’s clear that content moderation requires a huge staff due to the sheer volume of information.

Telegram has never had proper content moderation at its core, but prior to its rapid growth, it wasn’t something that governments around the world paid much attention to.

At the same time, the fight against terrorists and drug trafficking is not the responsibility of company managers. They can help special services, but they are not obliged to do so. A unique story happened when Messenger remained unmoderated for a long time, but when it reached about a billion users, it began to attract attention and the pressure on it increased.