Key Takeaways:
- Durov careworn that encryption backdoors can’t be restricted to legislation enforcement use and pose severe dangers, as they are often exploited by hackers, overseas brokers, and different malicious actors.
- Telegram up to date its phrases in September 2024 to permit the sharing of IP addresses and cellphone numbers with authorities if introduced with legitimate courtroom orders.
Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has issued a robust assertion reaffirming the platform’s dedication to consumer privateness, even when it means leaving sure markets.
This is available in response to current legislative makes an attempt in France and different elements of the European Union that need to mandate backdoor entry to encrypted messages for legislation enforcement.
Final month, France practically banned encryption. A legislation requiring messaging apps to implement a backdoor for police entry to non-public messages was handed by the Senate. Fortunately, it was shot down by the Nationwide Meeting. But 3 days in the past the Paris Police Prefect advocated for it once more.
— Pavel Durov (@durov) April 21, 2025
Durov referenced a current French Senate proposal that might have required messaging platforms to introduce encryption backdoors.
Though the legislation was in the end rejected by the Nationwide Meeting, the dialog round weakening encryption for legislation enforcement functions continues to resurface—most just lately advocated by the Paris Police Prefect. Durov warned that such efforts pose a menace to consumer privateness and digital freedom.
“Even nations which are usually criticized for missing civil liberties have by no means gone as far as to ban encryption,” Durov stated.
He emphasised the technical dangers of backdoors, explaining that when such a vulnerability exists, it can’t be restricted to legislation enforcement use alone—making it exploitable by hackers, overseas intelligence businesses, and cybercriminals alike.
Legal guidelines Ineffective With Criminals Shifting to Much less Regulated Apps
Durov additionally questioned the effectiveness of such legal guidelines in combating crime.
He identified that criminals would seemingly transfer to smaller, less-regulated apps and proceed utilizing VPNs to evade detection, whereas law-abiding residents would endure the results of compromised privateness.
Telegram, identified for its encrypted communication options, has maintained a strict stance on defending consumer knowledge. Over its 12-year historical past, the corporate claims to have by no means disclosed non-public message content material.
Below the EU Digital Providers Act, Telegram solely supplies restricted metadata—equivalent to IP addresses and cellphone numbers—to authorities with legitimate courtroom orders, not the contents of messages themselves.
Telegram Coverage Change Applied in September
Regardless of this agency stance, Telegram did introduce a coverage change in September 2024, updating its phrases of service to permit for restricted knowledge disclosure to legislation enforcement.
Below part 8.3 of the up to date phrases, Telegram now states it would share consumer IP addresses and cellphone numbers upon receiving authorized requests, equivalent to court-issued warrants.
Nonetheless, Durov made clear that Telegram’s core rules stay intact: “We don’t commerce privateness for market share.”
As stress from regulatory our bodies continues, significantly from the European Fee’s newest push for surveillance capabilities, Durov’s message is unambiguous—Telegram CEO stated he won’t compromise encryption, even when it should go away sure nations to uphold that customary.
Telegram CEO’s Arrest, Censorship-Resistant Period Over
Final 12 months, Durov was arrested at an airport on the outskirts of Paris, France, on Aug. 24. The Russian-born billionaire was charged with many crimes, together with allegedly being complicit in drug trafficking, dissemination of kid pornography, fraud, cash laundering, and unlawful provision of cryptographic companies.
Since Durov’s launch, Telegram has been dealing with stress from governments to share consumer knowledge.
Daria Lysenko, a crypto lawyer with the legislation agency SBSB, just lately stated the regulatory atmosphere is shifting, and tech corporations like Telegram could also be compelled to adjust to the federal government’s calls for to share non-public consumer info.
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