Telegram Hands Over Personal User Data to German Authorities

Contact Your Elected Officials
The Epoch Times Header

Operators of the messenger app Telegram transferred personal information of its users to the German Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA), deviating from the company’s earlier claims of shielding such data from governments.

The personal data is related to users who were suspects of terrorism and child abuse crimes, according to Spiegel. In the case of other crimes, it is still difficult for German authorities to get data from Telegram.

The move comes across as a softening of the company’s stance on private data. German investigators, for a long time, have never received any positive responses from Telegram whenever they requested the company to reveal the identities of people behind online criminal content.

The data handover runs counter to Telegram’s claim on its official website that “to this day, we have disclosed 0 bytes of user data to third parties, including governments.”

According to the company, cloud chat data is stored in multiple data centers around the world that are controlled by several legal entities across various jurisdictions.

Moreover, decryption keys are split into multiple parts and never stored in the same place as the data they are supposed to protect. As a result, only if several court orders from different jurisdictions appear will Telegram be forced to give up data.

“Thanks to this structure, we can ensure that no single government or block of like-minded countries can intrude on people’s privacy and freedom of expression,” the company claims.

However, its recent German handover dents this narrative, raising the possibility that Telegram can be forced by other governments as well to submit private data.

Back in 2018, Telegram founder Pavel Durov announced a new policy according to which a court order can compel the company to release IP addresses and phone numbers of its users. In its latest transparency report updated every six months, no data transfers to authorities were mentioned.

By Naveen Athrappully

Read Full Article on TheEpochTimes.com

The Epoch Times
The Epoch Timeshttps://www.theepochtimes.com/
Tired of biased news? The Epoch Times is truthful, factual news that other media outlets don't report. No spin. No agenda. Just honest journalism like it used to be.

Trump’s Middle East Triumph is Worth Celebrating Even As Peace Remains Elusive 

President Trump’s bold foreign policy defies globalist appeasement, showcasing unwavering American strength and decisive leadership on the world stage.

Are conservatives fighting a fiction of woke?

Wokery, it hurts to say it, is too disorganized to have an organized cosmology or doctrine of metaphysical belief.

Illinois Democrat Offenders Reveal Party

The crime of J.B Pritzker and Brandon Johnson in this episode of American history is called subversion at the least , but could be as serious as treason.

Inside the Public School Librarian Jihad to Keep Transgender Propaganda on Shelves

Public school librarians are doing all they can to keep child tranny propaganda flowing directly into the malleable minds of their charges.

Five Reasons Why The Latest Czech Elections Were So Important

Populist-nationalist politician Andrej Babis is poised to return to the premiership after his party's victory. Here are 5 reasons why this is so important.

New York AG Letitia James Indicted on Federal Charges

New York Attorney General Letitia James was indicted by a grand jury on federal charges, according to an indictment on unsealed on Thursday.

6 Ways Vaccine Policy Has Changed Under RFK Jr.

Health Sec RFK, Jr. and officials at the HHS changed recommendations and policies for multiple vaccines, including shots against COVID-19 and measles.

Journalists Recount Antifa Violence in Roundtable With Trump

President Trump met at the White House with journalists attacked by the newly designated terrorist group Antifa, joined by Cabinet officials for a roundtable.

IRS to Furlough 34,000 Employees as Government Shutdown Halts Treasury Operations

The IRS said in an emergency message to staff that it will furlough more than 34,000 employees starting on Oct. 8 due to the government shutdown.

Trump Says He May Invoke Insurrection Act in Portland If Necessary

President Donald Trump on Oct. 6 said he may consider invoking the Insurrection Act in Portland, Oregon, if necessary.

Trump: All Medium, Heavy Duty Trucks Entering US Will See 25 Percent Tariff on Nov. 1

President Trump announced on Monday that all medium and heavy-duty trucks entering the United States will see a 25 percent tariff starting on Nov. 1.

Treasury Names Social Security Commissioner as CEO of IRS

Treasury Sec. Scott Bessent announced that Frank Bisignano, the head of the Social Security Administration (SSA), will also serve as CEO of the IRS.

Agencies Terminated, Descoped 94 Wasteful Contracts With $8.5 Billion Ceiling Value, Says DOGE

Various federal government agencies have terminated and descoped 94 wasteful contracts over the past five days, DOGE said in an Oct. 4 post on X.
spot_img

Related Articles

Popular Categories

MAGA Business Central