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