Underground Telegram users vow to leave platform

Telegram CEO Pavel Durov’s arrest in late August has sparked policy changes that allow data to be handed over to authorities when asked, and the platform’s underground criminal users are furious.

“Telegram founder just f*cked up. Bl00dy Ransomware Gang is quitting Telegram,” one disgruntled criminal gang member stated in a WhatsApp message to the group.

This isn’t the only group that has vowed to quit the platform. Many more people are angered by the changes, especially those who don’t want to be found by authorities.

This uproar comes after Pavel Durov was arrested in France in August. This followed allegations that Durov was complicit in running a site that allowed illegal activities like the sale of drugs, the distribution of child abuse material, fraud, and the spread of malicious hacking tools to run rampant.

In addition to this alleged complicity, Durov was also charged with refusing to lawfully hand over user data to authorities.

Durov’s arrest has prompted policy changes, evident from a note added to Telegram’s FAQ section that asks users to refer to Durov’s post regarding the changes.

In the Telegram post, Durov said authorities would have to provide search warrants or other valid legal requests if they expect to receive users’ data like IP addresses and phone numbers. According to Durov, the move “should discourage criminals.”

This naturally concerned underground ransomware gangs, hacktivists, and cybercriminals, as many vowed to leave the platform in search of more secure ways to continue committing crimes.

Underground panic

Upon hearing the news, actors started talking. They created threads that discussed the good qualities of other social media platforms, and all seemed to agree that abandoning Telegram was the way to go, Intel471, a cybersecurity company specializing in threat intelligence, reported.

On various forums, including Exploit, users said they wanted to switch to the Jagger, Tox, and Matrix platforms. However, people on the Cracked forum and Telegram channels seemed to prefer Signal and Session, Intel471 said.

This new policy change – to allow IP addresses and phone numbers to be accessed by law enforcement – caught the attention of various hacktivist groups, which also signaled a switch to alternative social media platforms.