Telegram collects technical data about you — including your IP address, device information, and username history — for up to 12 months to prevent spam and security threats.
Telegram retains your IP address and device metadata for up to 12 months, and this is the same data that can be disclosed to law enforcement under a valid judicial order, creating a 12-month window during which your identifying information could be legally compelled.
Cross-platform context
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Compare across platforms →Your IP address, which can reveal your approximate location and internet provider, is retained for up to a year and is also the data type that can be disclosed to law enforcement under a judicial order.
REGULATORY FRAMEWORK: This provision engages GDPR Art. 5(1)(e) (storage limitation), Art. 6(1)(f) (legitimate interests for security processing), Art. 32 (security measures), and the EU's proposed ePrivacy Regulation regarding metadata retention. For EU users, the CJEU's La Quadrature du Net ruling (C-511/18) constrains blanket metadata retention by communications providers. The UK Investigatory Powers Act 2016 and the US ECPA also govern metadata retention practices. Enforcement authority is the competent EEA national DPA, UK ICO, and potentially national communications regulators.
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