MOSCOW, September 24. /TASS/. Telegram will not see any significant outflow of users after a statement by the messenger's co-founder Pavel Durov made on Monday, Pavel Pokrovsky, head of service management at the information security company Angara Security, told TASS.
On September 23, Durov said that the messenger can disclose user IP addresses and phone numbers in response to legitimate requests from the relevant authorities. He clarified that this measure concerns violators of Telegram rules and is being introduced to deter criminals from abusing the messenger's internal search function.
"It is unlikely that there will be any noticeable outflow of audience from Telegram due to Durov's statement. Moreover, Telegram is obliged to comply with the requirements of the legislation in the countries where it is represented. And public statements by the service owner are unlikely to somehow affect Telegram's actual interaction with law enforcement agencies," the expert said.
In his opinion, Durov is trying to make a step towards the authorities with his words, "considering the situation he found himself in."
Pokrovsky noted that law enforcement agencies in almost all countries have the right to request user details, otherwise the services risk being blocked.
"Basically, this is disadvantageous to everyone and it is much more advantageous for Telegram - as a commercial service first of all - to interact with law enforcement agencies, fulfilling their requirements under the law," Pokrovsky added.
"To sum up, if there is an outflow, it will be precisely among the audience that used Telegram for any illegal activity. This audience will simply go to some other services, fortunately, there are plenty of them," the expert concluded.