Key Takeaways:
- Durov careworn that encryption backdoors can’t be restricted to legislation enforcement use and pose critical dangers, as they are often exploited by hackers, international 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 powerful assertion reaffirming the platform’s dedication to person privateness, even when it means leaving sure markets.
This is available in response to latest legislative makes an attempt in France and different elements of the European Union that want 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 personal 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 latest French Senate proposal that may have required messaging platforms to introduce encryption backdoors.
Though the legislation was finally rejected by the Nationwide Meeting, the dialog round weakening encryption for legislation enforcement functions continues to resurface—most lately advocated by the Paris Police Prefect. Durov warned that such efforts pose a menace to person privateness and digital freedom.
“Even international locations 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 after such a vulnerability exists, it can’t be restricted to legislation enforcement use alone—making it exploitable by hackers, international intelligence businesses, and cybercriminals alike.
Legal guidelines Ineffective With Criminals Transferring to Much less Regulated Apps
Durov additionally questioned the effectiveness of such legal guidelines in combating crime.
He identified that criminals would doubtless transfer to smaller, less-regulated apps and proceed utilizing VPNs to evade detection, whereas law-abiding residents would undergo the implications of compromised privateness.
Telegram, identified for its encrypted communication options, has maintained a strict stance on defending person information. Over its 12-year historical past, the corporate claims to have by no means disclosed non-public message content material.
Beneath the EU Digital Companies Act, Telegram solely gives 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 information disclosure to legislation enforcement.
Beneath part 8.3 of the up to date phrases, Telegram now states it’ll share person 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, notably 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 international locations to uphold that customary.
Telegram CEO’s Arrest, Censorship-Resistant Period Over
Final yr, 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 providers.
Since Durov’s launch, Telegram has been dealing with stress from governments to share person information.
Daria Lysenko, a crypto lawyer with the legislation agency SBSB, lately stated the regulatory atmosphere is shifting, and tech corporations like Telegram could also be pressured to adjust to the federal government’s calls for to share non-public person info.
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