Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov announced that the messaging platform has taken significant steps to remove problematic content following his recent arrest in France.
Durov, who addressed his 13 million Telegram channel subscribers, revealed that users selling illegal goods had exploited the platform's search feature, violating Telegram's terms of service.
To tackle this issue, Telegram’s team employed artificial intelligence to scan and eliminate any problematic content identified within the search function.
Durov emphasized that all such content is now inaccessible, and the platform has updated its terms of service and privacy policy. The changes include provisions to share infringers’ information—such as IP addresses and phone numbers—with authorities upon valid legal requests.
“We won’t let bad actors compromise the integrity of our platform for nearly a billion users,” Durov stated.
Durov was detained on August 24 at Le Bourget airport near Paris upon arriving on a private jet. He was charged with failing to curb extremist and criminal activities on Telegram and released on a €5 million ($5.6 million) bail.
As part of his bail conditions, Durov must stay in France and report to the police twice weekly.
Despite initially criticizing his arrest, Durov has since complied with French authorities' demands, implementing measures to improve the platform’s moderation.
On September 6, he announced an overhaul of Telegram’s "people nearby" feature to promote legitimate businesses instead of bots and scammers.
“This year, we are dedicated to transforming moderation on Telegram from a point of criticism to one of praise,” Durov declared.
Known for his elusive public presence and ascetic lifestyle—marked by ice baths and abstaining from alcohol and coffee—Durov holds Russian, French, and UAE citizenship.
With an estimated net worth of $15.5 billion, he continues to steer Telegram's commitment to user safety and content moderation.
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