Telegram Data Sharing with Law Enforcement Increases

Telegram Data Requests Surge

Recent data released by Telegram indicates a significant increase in the number of data requests it has complied with from law enforcement agencies over the last year.

This rise in fulfilled requests followed the arrest of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov by French authorities in August. The arrest was partially due to the company’s previous resistance to providing user data related to a child exploitation inquiry.

Increased Data Sharing with US Authorities

Telegram’s latest transparency report, accessible only to Telegram account holders within their respective regions, reveals that phone numbers and IP addresses were provided to U.S. authorities 900 times in 2024.

This impacted a total of 2,253 Telegram users. This represents a substantial increase compared to earlier parts of 2024.

Global Trends in Data Requests

Previously, Telegram responded to only 14 data requests, affecting 108 users, as documented by a crowdsourced map created by Meduza.

The data also shows a considerable increase in requests from India. Telegram provided phone numbers and IP addresses to Indian authorities 14,641 times, impacting 23,535 users.

Data Sharing with the United Kingdom

Furthermore, Telegram shared phone numbers and IP addresses with U.K. authorities on 142 occasions, affecting 293 users.

This is a marked increase from the single-digit figures reported in the previous period.

Reporting Contributions

Reporting for this article was contributed by Carly Page in the U.K. and Jagmeet Singh in India.

(Source: 404 Media)