Telegram vows to exit markets over encryption backdoor demands

Telegram founder Pavel Durov has criticized the French government for attempting to ban encryption, calling it a serious threat to digital privacy.

In an April 21 statement on X, Durov revealed that French lawmakers nearly passed a bill last month that would have forced messaging apps to include backdoors that would give law enforcement agencies access to private messages.

The Telegram founder praised the National Assembly for blocking the legislation, arguing that it would have made France the first country to eliminate its citizens’ right to digital privacy. He said governments with poor records on civil liberties have never gone as far as banning encryption.

No backdoors for Telegram

According to Durov, the introduction of backdoors weakens security rather than enhancing it. He argued that anyone, including foreign governments and cyber criminals, could exploit a backdoor if it is created.

He further argued that the real victims of such backdoors would be law-abiding citizens whose messages could be intercepted or leaked.

Durov also challenged the notion that such legislation would curb illegal activities. He highlighted that criminals would simply migrate to smaller, more secure apps or use tools like Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), making them even harder to track.

Durov clarified that Telegram would rather exit any market than compromise its encryption standards or violate fundamental human rights.

He emphasized that Telegram has never shared private messages with any government in its 12-year history. The platform only provides limited data, such as IP addresses and phone numbers, and only when presented with a valid court order, in compliance with the EU Digital Services Act.

In closing, Durov warned that lawmakers must stop treating encryption as a tool for criminals. He said that encryption is a fundamental right that safeguards the privacy of everyday people.

According to Durov:

“The battle is far from over. This month, the European Commission proposed a similar initiative to add backdoors to messaging apps. No country is immune to the slow erosion of freedoms. Every day, those freedoms come under attack — and every day, we must defend them.”