Telegram
is
radically
altering
its
stance
towards
“illegal”
use
of
its
messaging
days
after
CEO
Pavel
Durov
was
arrested
in
France
for
allegedly
failing
to
police
law-breaking
content.
On
Thursday
night,
the
formerly
freewheeling
texting
app
extended
its
moderators’
reach
to
include
private
chats.
For
the
first
time,
users
in
private
chats
can
“flag
illegal
content”
for
review,
Telegram
wrote
in
a
change
on
its
FAQ
page.
An
older
version
of
the
same
page
said
Telegram
treated
private
groups
as
off-limits.
The
quiet
policy
shift
could
reshape
Telegram’s
alleged
stature
as
a
facilitator
for
all
forms
of
illegality
that
French
authorities
are
alleging.
Last
month,
France
arrested
Durov
for
allowing
alleged
criminal
activity
to
fester
on
the
app.
Durov
has
pushed
back
on
the
charges
as
meritless
but
must
remain
in
France
pending
trial.