TG CEO States: Prefers to Exit the Market Rather Than Create Backdoors for Any Government

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TG CEO Emphasizes No Backdoors Will Be Opened

Pavel Durov issued a statement on April 21 through his personal Telegram channel “Du Rove’s channel,” accusing the European Union of attempting to strengthen intervention in communication encryption, demanding communication platforms to implement backdoors for law enforcement to bypass encryption technologies and access user data. He specifically mentioned the bills proposed by French and EU lawmakers that aim to force communication software like Telegram to implement such backdoor mechanisms, reiterating Telegram’s commitment to digital privacy: “Telegram would rather exit the market than compromise encryption through backdoors and violate fundamental human rights. Unlike some competitors, we will not sell user privacy for market share.”

Backdoors Will Become Tools for Hackers and Hostile Forces

Pavel Durov pointed out that the greatest risk of setting up encrypted backdoors is that these backdoors can be exploited not only by the government but also by hackers and foreign spies. “It is technically impossible to guarantee that only police can access backdoors. Once a backdoor is established, users’ private communications will be exposed to risks.” He further added that such regulatory policies would only encourage criminals to turn to lesser-known small applications or use tools like VPNs to evade tracking, rendering the policy ineffective.

European Privacy War

Pavel Durov emphasized that although Telegram complies with legitimate court orders within specific jurisdictions for investigations, such as providing involved users’ IP addresses and phone numbers, it has never leaked any message content: “In the 12 years since Telegram’s founding, we have never leaked any message bit. According to the EU Digital Services Act (DSA), even when we receive legitimate court orders, we will only provide the IP and phone number of the individuals involved, not the content of the messages.” He also called on privacy advocates to continue communicating with legislators and stressed that encryption technology should be viewed as a tool for safeguarding privacy and security, not as a tool for crime. Although the French National Assembly rejected a proposal this March that would allow police to secretly access private messages, Pavel Durov believes that the EU’s war against digital privacy is “far from over.” He cited the ProtectEU proposal put forward by the EU Commission in early April, which advocates finding “technical solutions that would allow law enforcement to legally obtain data” by 2026. However, the proposal has faced strong criticism from digital privacy advocates and some European lawmakers, such as Finnish MEP Aura Salla, who stated that establishing encrypted backdoors would “fundamentally undermine the cybersecurity principles that ProtectEU claims to uphold.”

Durov Faces Legal Action in France

It is noteworthy that while Durov issued this statement regarding the EU’s privacy threats, he is facing legal action in France for allegedly assisting in illegal transactions on the platform. According to the French prosecution, if convicted, Durov could face up to 10 years in prison and a fine of $550,000.