Telegram Shared Data On 22,000+ Users - 1

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Telegram Shared Data On 22,000+ Users

  • Written by Kiara Fabbri Former Tech News Writer
  • Fact-Checked by Sarah Frazier Former Content Manager

Telegram shared user data with authorities over 22,000 times in early 2025, sparking political tension and transparency concerns across multiple countries.

In a rush? Here are the quick facts:

  • Telegram shared user data on 22,777 accounts in early 2025.
  • This is nearly 4x more than in early 2024.
  • France filed 668 requests, up from just 4 the year before.

The messaging app Telegram provided user data to authorities more than 22,000 times during the initial three months of 2025, according to 404 Media . The company processed four times more requests during this period than it did during the same time in the previous year.

404 Media says that the GitHub repository containing Telegram reports indicates the company processed 13,600 official requests during January through March 2025. The disclosure of user data affected 22,777 users through these requests. The U.S. government issued 576 requests which led to the disclosure of data from 1,664 users.

The messaging application Telegram operated by Pavel Durov maintained resistance against government cooperation. The company shifted its stance after CEO Pavel Durov faced arrest in France because Telegram failed to cooperate with a child abuse investigation.

The company has become more willing to fulfill data requests from authorities. The platform operates a bot system which provides users with information about incoming requests along with the number of users who received data disclosure. 404 Media reports that human Rights Watch technologist Tek made the data accessible .

The report demonstrates that France submitted significantly more data requests to Telegram during this period. The French government initiated only four requests in early 2024 which impacted 17 users, reports 404 Media.

The number of requests from France increased to 668 this year while the affected user base expanded to 1,425 people. The number of requests from Romania increased to 37 in 2024 which affected 88 users An error occurred while processing your request. Please try again, as reported by 404 Media.

Durov, recently released from France and now in Dubai, took to social media to accuse France of trying to interfere with Romanian elections.

“A Western European government approached Telegram, asking us to silence conservative voices in Romania ahead of today’s presidential elections. I flatly refused,” he said, as reported by 404 Media.

He later named France and its intelligence chief, Nicolas Lerner, directly. The French government has denied the claim.

Italy Fines AI Chatbot Maker Replika 5 Million Euros For Data Protection Violation - 2

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Italy Fines AI Chatbot Maker Replika 5 Million Euros For Data Protection Violation

  • Written by Andrea Miliani Former Tech News Expert
  • Fact-Checked by Sarah Frazier Former Content Manager

Italy’s data protection authority has fined Replika’s parent company, Luka Inc., 5 million euros—approximately 5.64 million dollars—for failing to comply with regulations designed to protect users’ data. The authorities cited concerns about the technology’s potential risks to children and the company’s lack of a sufficient legal basis for processing the personal data of Italian users.

In a rush? Here are the quick facts:

  • This Monday, Italy’s data protection authority fined Replika’s parent company, Luka Inc., 5 million euros.
  • The privacy watchdog stated that Replika did not provide an age verification system and lacked a legal basis for processing users’ data.
  • A separate investigation is underway to determine whether the tech company complies with European Union regulations.

According to Reuters , the privacy watchdog Garante announced the decision on Monday, stating that the chatbot platform did not implement an age verification system to prevent children from sharing or accessing sensitive content. As a result, Luka Inc. was fined for these violations.

Replika offers users customizable avatars that can engage in conversations—via chat and voice—to create “virtual friends.” A few months ago, a woman named Sarah Kay reported developing an emotional connection with one of Replika’s chatbots .

The legal battle between Italian authorities and Replika has been unfolding for several years. In 2023, Italy’s data protection agency banned Replika from processing the personal data of Italian citizens, citing the potential risks the technology poses to children.

For nearly two years, Italian authorities have conducted an ongoing investigation and concluded that the AI company lacks a legal basis for processing the data of Italian users.

The data protection agency is also conducting a separate investigation to determine whether Replika complies with European Union policies and legal frameworks, with a particular focus on how the AI’s language model is trained.

The European Union’s Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act) came into force recently to ensure that AI technology in the region is safe, trustworthy, and respects human rights.