Telegram · Telegram Privacy Policy

Law Enforcement Disclosure

High severity
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What it is

Telegram can hand over your IP address and phone number to law enforcement if a court orders it in connection with criminal activity that also violates Telegram's terms.

Consumer impact (what this means for users)

Your IP address and phone number can be disclosed to law enforcement agencies worldwide upon a valid judicial order, potentially revealing your real-world identity and location even if you use a pseudonym on the platform.

Cross-platform context

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Why it matters (compliance & risk perspective)

The dual requirement — a valid judicial order AND a Terms of Service violation — is a higher bar than many platforms set, but users should know their identifying information is not immune from legal disclosure.

View original clause language
If Telegram receives a valid order from the relevant judicial authorities that confirms you're a suspect in a case involving criminal activities that violate the Telegram Terms of Service, we will perform a legal analysis of the request and may disclose your IP address and phone number to the relevant authorities. If any data is shared, we will include such occurrences in a quarterly transparency report published at: https://t.me/transparency.

Institutional analysis (Compliance & legal intelligence)

REGULATORY FRAMEWORK: This provision engages GDPR Art. 6(1)(c) (legal obligation) and Art. 10 (criminal conviction data), the EU Law Enforcement Directive (2016/680), the US Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA, 18 U.S.C. § 2702-2703), and equivalent national mutual legal assistance treaty (MLAT) frameworks. The relevant enforcement and oversight authorities are national judicial authorities, the European Data Protection Board, and the US DOJ for MLAT requests.

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Applicable agencies

  • FTC
    FTC oversight of data practices including government disclosure policies falls under consumer protection and unfair practices jurisdiction under FTC Act Section 5.
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Provision details

Document information
Document
Telegram Privacy Policy
Entity
Telegram
Document last updated
April 29, 2026
Tracking information
First tracked
April 18, 2026
Last verified
April 18, 2026
Record ID
CA-P-002908
Document ID
CA-D-00174
Evidence Provenance
Source URL
Wayback Machine
SHA-256
379a11aff9a58881ad90b36de1e9479fc26a4085619c34a3087b3bd91bfdaaa1
Verified
✓ Snapshot stored   ✓ Change verified
How to Cite
ConductAtlas Policy Archive
Entity: Telegram | Document: Telegram Privacy Policy | Record: CA-P-002908
Captured: 2026-04-18 10:46:01 UTC | SHA-256: 379a11aff9a58881…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/telegram/telegram-privacy-policy/law-enforcement-disclosure/
Accessed: May 2, 2026
Classification
Severity
High
Categories

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