During the pandemic, the Telegram messaging service has become a popular repository for fake news and conspiracy theories, not least because of its lack of moderation and reluctance to share information with the authorities.
Users should vote
Although it is expected that little will change, Telegram is currently conducting a survey among German users in which they will vote on the extent to which the company should share information with authorities, such as the German police, in the future.
If you don't want to avoid the survey but want to take part in it, you can choose between three possible answers:
- IP addresses and telephone numbers of terrorist suspects may still be passed on to the authorities in the event of a court order
- IP addresses and telephone numbers of suspects of serious crimes may be passed on to the authorities even without a court order
- may never be passed on to the authorities, regardless of whether there is a court order or not
Head to head race
More than 1.9 million users have now taken part in the anonymous survey and cast their votes. At around 40%, the first option, which has already been defined in Telegram's data protection regulations since 2018, is currently only slightly ahead of the option of no longer sharing any data with the authorities.
Telegram ready to cooperate?
According to the German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD), there was a conversation with the company's management at the beginning of this year regarding the lack of a legal representative who was responsible for inquiries from authorities within the EU. However, it remains unclear whether this exchange will actually bring about appropriate changes.
You might also be interested in: “ The air is getting thinner: Telegram passes on user data to the authorities ”
Source : derStandard , netzpolitik
Notes:
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