Controversies come and go with Pavel Durov, especially since his airport arrest in France last month. However, his latest statement even made his personality a "controversial" one.
The Telegram CEO has responded to the company's renewed terms of service, though he believes the changes are less "scary" than many would let them be.
In a fresh wave of legal pressure from French officials and increased data requests within the European Union, Durov reminds readers that many of the policies garnered most of the attention would remain untouched.
Response from Durov to the Legal Pressure
In a recent post, Durov cleared that since 2018, Telegram has been providing information about crimes only if they get a correctly composed legal request.
According to Bloomberg, he downplays the updates, claiming this procedure has always been in place and the latest announcements are mainly fine-tuning communication channels rather than overthrowing the platform's approach in any way.
"My previous post may have seemed to announce a major shift in how Telegram works. But in reality, little has changed," Durov posted on the platform.
The clarification comes as French prosecutors branded Durov as a figurehead of the company that has resisted cooperation with law enforcement.
In response, Durov said Telegram has always complied with valid requests provided they are submitted through proper legal channels.
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Boom in Legal Requests from Europe
The recent rise in legal requests traces back to the use of correct communication lines by European Union authorities, according to Durov.
Interestingly, these events coincide with Durov being ordered to remain in France due to an ongoing investigation. This concerns him with accusations related to the alleged role of Telegram in assisting criminal activities using such secret Telegram services that ensure user messages stay encrypted.
Durov claims, however, that the messaging app has always strictly adhered to legal laws.
Privacy vs. Legal Compliance: The Balancing Act of Telegram
Despite this legal scrutiny, the focus of Telegram on privacy and free speech remains on the front. Most users have welcomed Telegram for its secure messaging feature. It has long been popular as an instrument of privacy by users. However, this commitment to secrecy has come in for criticism from the authorities as even the most valuable security tools can be used for many crimes.
In that regard, the service issued updated terms of service and moderation tools. Still, as Durov also mentions in this regard, these do not represent a real shift in the approach to privacy and rather denote the need to remain transparent and cooperative.
In 2021, the 39-year-old businessman said Telegram would not force users to watch 30-second ads. The statement was made after the messaging platform changed its privacy policies.
He said that if ever ads come to the platform, they would only appear in large "one-to-many channels," deeming them costly to run.
Related Article: Pavel Durov Speaks up After Receiving Preliminary Charges, Telegram Will Now Moderate Private Chats
