Telegram is halting end-to-end encryption for private chats and has updated its FAQs to that extent. After the change, private chats are also not protected from moderation requests. Here’s everything we know about these changes and how they would affect the users of the popular messaging app.

For context, the changes come nearly two weeks after Telegram’s founder and CEO Parel Durov was arrested at Le Bourget airport north of Paris. Notably, France’s OFMIN, which was formed in November only, had issued an arrest warrant for Durov over allegations of organized crime running wild on Telegram.

Durov was able to leave the jail after paying a €5 million bail. However, he has to remain in France until further notice and has to report to a police station twice a week.

Durov Issued a Statement on His Arrest

Incidentally, the changes in Telegram’s policy coincided with Durov’s statement where while he expressed “surprise” at his arrest, he also acknowledged some issues with Telegram.

Durov acknowledged, “Establishing the right balance between privacy and security is not easy. You have to reconcile privacy laws with law enforcement requirements, and local laws with EU laws.”

However, he added that Telegram leaves a country if it cannot agree with the regulators on the balance between security and privacy – citing its decision to quit Iran and Russia.

Durov said that Telegram takes down “millions” of harmful posts and channels daily while admitting the platform is not perfect. He also emphasized that “the claims in some media that Telegram is some sort of anarchic paradise are absolutely untrue.”

Durov went in to add, “Telegram’s abrupt increase in user count to 950M caused growing pains that made it easier for criminals to abuse our platform.” He said that Telegram has already started the process to improve things internally and that he would share more details soon. The Telegram CEO summed up by saying that he hoped the recent events would help make the entire social networking industry “safer and stronger.”

Notably, Durov’s arrest and the subsequent privacy-related changes announced by Telegram could have widespread repercussions for not only Telegram users but perhaps for the wider social media industry.

How Telegram Moderating Private Chats Will Impact You?

After the changes, Telegram users will be able to report illegal content in private as well as group chats, which would then be reviewed by moderators. It also provided an automated takedown email address where users could report illegal content.

The updated FAQs don’t provide any updates on whether anything will change on how Telegram responds to requests from law enforcement agencies but it would be fair to expect it may be more amenable to them than it was before Durov’s arrest.

After the changes, Telegram might lose its unique selling point, privacy, as it has long positioned itself as a “private” messaging platform. However, looking at Durov’s post, he tried to allay fears about privacy and said, “we stand by our principles: our experience is shaped by our mission to protect our users in authoritarian regimes” – while adding that the company has always been open to dialogue.

That said, the privacy changes to Telegram were long overdue. The platform is quite popular among cybercriminals, drug sellers, terrorist organizations, weapons dealers, fraudsters, traffickers, and far-right extremist groups. Telegram has been on the radar of several law enforcement agencies over what they believe is the company’s failure to curb booming illegal activities through its network.

All said, Telegram chats would now be a lot less “private” than they were hitherto and are subject to moderation.

Would Other Social Networks Be Forced to Fall in Line Like Telegram?

To be sure, while Telegram was at loggerheads with regulators, other social networks, especially X (formerly Twitter) are also facing scrutiny. Pretty much ever since Musk bought the platform in 2022, it has been at odds with the EU over content moderation. The European Commission believes that X is not complying with its DSA (Digital Services Act). Musk, on the other hand, asserts that the Commission wants it to censor free speech to escape fines.

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Durov’s arrest could have long-term implications as it might open the gates for other business leaders to be arrested over allegations related to the companies they lead. This could perhaps even include Musk, who has been at odds with European regulators but visits the continent often, given Tesla’s business operations in the region.

However, while Europe arresting a US citizen like Musk or Meta Platforms’ CEO Mark Zuckerberg does not look like a realistic possibility, after Durov’s arrest, the message has been sent quite unequivocally.

X Has Been Selective in Taking on Law Enforcement Agencies

While we shouldn’t really expect social networks to cave in following Durov’s arrest and the subsequent privacy changes adopted by the company, they might be mindful of the fact while engaging with regulators on content moderation and takedown requests.

Musk could be an exception here as the Tesla CEO has often mocked regulators and even went against “shelter in place” orders to reopen the company’s plant in Freemont.

However, X seems to comply with most government warrants and requests – especially if they come from countries led by right-wing leaders like India and Turkey. X however took a hard stance in Brazil which is led by left-leaning President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and is now banned in the country.

All said, given how extensively bad actors were exploiting social networks like Telegram, law enforcement agencies are now fighting back as is evident in Durov’s arrest. These incidents are bound to ignite the fiery debate between privacy and law enforcement.