Key Points
- Following his release from custody, Pavel Durov addresses events and future Telegram-related goals.
- He promises to prevent abusers of Telegram from interfering with the future of over 950 million users.
Telegram’s founder and CEO, Pavel Durov, shared his thoughts about what happened in France last month, and revealed his plans for the platform and users’ future.
Via a post on X, he said that he is still trying to understand what happened in France back in August, highlighting that all concerns about the platform have been heard.
Durov said that he made it his personal goal to prevent abusers from interfering with the future of the platform’s more than 950 million users.
Addressing France Events
Durov revealed his full statement via a post on Telegram. He explained that last month, he was interviewed by police for 4 days after arriving in Paris.
He was reportedly told that he may be personally responsible for other people’s illegal use of Telegram because the French authorities did not receive responses from the platform.
According to his statement, this was surprising for several reasons.
1. Telegram has an official representative in the EU
Telegram has an official representative in the EU that accepts and replies to EU requests. The e-mail address has been publicly available for anyone in the EU who googles “Telegram EU address for law enforcement.”
2. Authorities had ways of reaching Durov
French authorities had various ways of reaching him to request assistance. Durov explained that as a French citizen, he was a frequent guest at the French consulate in Dubai. Also, a while ago when he was asked, he personally helped establish a hotline with Telegram to deal with the threat of terrorism in France.
3. A misguided approach was used
If a country is unhappy with an Internet service, the already established practice is to start legal action against the service. According to Durov, using laws from the pre-smartphone era to charge a CEO with crimes committed by third parties on a platform that he manages is a misguided approach.
4. Such events put pressure on technology builders
Durov explained that building technology is already hard enough, and no innovator can build new tools if they know that at one point they can be held personally responsible for the potential abuse of the tools in question.
Establishing Privacy-Security Balance
In his post, Durov explained that establishing the right balance between privacy and security is not an easy task. This involves multiple actions including the following:
- Reconciling privacy laws with law enforcement requirements and local laws with EU laws
- Taking into account technological limitations
- Making sure that the platform’s processes are globally consistent, and ensuring they’re not abused in countries with weak rule of law
Durov said that he and his Telegram team have been committed to engaging with regulators to find the right balance.
Defending Users’ Rights in Authoritarian Regimes
He also highlighted that they stand by their principles, and their experience is shaped by the mission to protect users in authoritarian regimes.
Durov also said that sometimes, they cannot agree with a country’s regulator on the right balance between privacy and security. He said that in such cases, they are ready to leave that country.
He offered more examples including the following:
- Russia: When the country asked for Telegram to deliver “encryption keys” to enable surveillance – they refused. This led to a ban on Telegram in Russia.
- Iran: When the country demanded Telegram blocked channels of peaceful protesters, they also refused, which led to a ban in Iran as well.
Durov said that Telegram is prepared to leave markets that are not compatible with their principles.
He highlighted that they are not doing this for money, but are driven by the intention to bring good and defend people’s basic rights, especially in places where such rights are violated.
Continuously Perfectioning Telegram
Telegram’s CEO highlighted that the platform is far from perfect, and one example is the fact that French authorities were confused as to where they should send requests.
However, he said that claims that Telegram is some sort of “anarchic paradise” are not true. The platform reportedly takes down millions of harmful posts and channels daily, and they publish daily transparency reports.
Durov offered an example of how they’re fighting child abuse, and combating terrorism.
Also, they have direct hotlines with NGOs to process moderation requests faster.
Protecting Over 950M Users
Durov said at the end of his statement that they also hear the voices that say their measures are not enough. He explained that Telegram’s abrupt increase in user count to over 950 million caused growing pains, and made it easier for criminals to abuse the platform.
He stated that he made it his personal goal to ensure the platform will improve, and the process has already begun.
Durov stated that he will share new details on the progress soon, and said he hopes the sad August events will end up making Telegram safer and stronger.
