Telegram Updates Policy So Users Can Report Private Chats

Telegram is tightening its moderation policies following CEO Pavel Durov's arrest, changing how the platform handles private chats and illegal content.

What's the scoop?

• Policy Shift and FAQ Update: Telegram now allows users to flag illegal content in private chats, removing its FAQ statement that all chats are private and unmonitored.
• Legal Pressure: The change follows Durov’s arrest in France for allegedly failing to combat criminal activity on the platform, including drug trafficking, fraud, and child pornography distribution.
• CEO's Defense: Durov pushed back, claiming French authorities had multiple ways to contact Telegram for assistance and stating that Telegram already takes down millions of harmful posts daily.
• Company’s Challenges: Durov admitted the platform’s rapid growth has made it harder to police but promised to "significantly improve" moderation of illegal activity.

Bankless Take: 

Telegram’s shift in moderation policy underscores the increasing tension between privacy and regulation. While the new policy may help Telegram comply with regulations, it risks alienating privacy-focused users and reshaping the platform’s identity, though Durov seems to have little choice. It will be interesting to see if bringing users into the fold to help regulate the platform yields results, given that one must imagine that if a user is already in an illegal chat, they wouldn’t have that much desire to out it.