KUALA LUMPUR – Telegram founder and chief executive, Pavel Durov, announced a renewed crackdown on illegal content on Monday, pledging a more proactive approach to cooperating with government requests. This comes just weeks after Durov’s arrest in France over allegations of failing to prevent criminal activity on the platform.
According to the AFP, Durov revealed that Telegram had removed significant amounts of “problematic content” and introduced measures to better identify and report violators. The messaging service’s search function, he said, had been exploited by individuals breaching Telegram’s terms of service to facilitate the sale of illegal goods.
“Over the past few weeks,” Durov told the 13 million followers of his personal messaging channel, “staff had combed through Telegram using artificial intelligence to ensure all the problematic content we identified in Search is no longer accessible.”
He further explained that Telegram had updated its terms of service and privacy policy, clarifying that it would share infringers’ information – such as IP addresses and phone numbers – “in response to valid legal requests”.
“We won’t let bad actors jeopardise the integrity of our platform for almost a billion users,” he was quoted as saying.
Durov was arrested on 24 August upon landing at Le Bourget airport near Paris on a private jet. Following several days of interrogation, he was charged with multiple counts related to failing to restrict extremist and terrorist content. He was released on a €5 million (RM23.4 million) bail and is required to stay in France, reporting to authorities twice a week during the ongoing investigation.
Initially critical of his arrest, Durov has since indicated a shift towards complying with French demands. On 6 September, he announced changes to Telegram’s “people nearby” feature, ensuring users would be connected with “legitimate businesses” rather than “bots and scammers”.
“This year we are committed to turning moderation on Telegram from an area of criticism into one of praise,” Durov remarked at the time.
Known for his elusive nature and rare public appearances, Durov has a net worth of $15.5 bil (RM65.15 bil), according to Forbes. Despite his wealth, he advocates for an ascetic lifestyle, promoting habits such as ice baths and abstaining from alcohol and coffee. – September 24, 2024