Telegram founder Pavel Durov has announced some changes to the platform's terms of service. On the app, he wrote that people "who violate our rules can be disclosed to relevant authorities in response to valid legal requests."
 

"Search on Telegram is more powerful than in other messaging apps because it allows users to find public channels and bots. Unfortunately, this feature has been abused by people who violated our Terms of Service to sell illegal goods," he wrote.

"Over the last few weeks, a dedicated team of moderators, leveraging AI, has made Telegram Search much safer. All the problematic content we identified in Search is no longer accessible. If you still manage to find something unsafe or illegal in Telegram Search, please report it to us via @SearchReport.

"To further deter criminals from abusing Telegram Search, we have updated our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, ensuring they are consistent across the world. We’ve made it clear that the IP addresses and phone numbers of those who violate our rules can be disclosed to relevant authorities in response to valid legal requests.

"These measures should discourage criminals. Telegram Search is meant for finding friends and discovering news, not for promoting illegal goods. We won't let bad actors jeopardize the integrity of our platform for almost a billion users."

Durov was arrested in France in August and hit with a host of charges, including allowing the spread of child pornography on the app. The change in terms is an attempt to curb that spread. The app offers end-to-end encryption so that users can be confident that their communications are private. 

Authorities have claimed that the privacy allows for criminals and bad actors to engage in illegal activities. The company is headquartered in the UAE, where Durov is a citizen. He is also a citizen of France.