Key Points
- Following his launch from custody, Pavel Durov addresses occasions and future Telegram-related targets.
- He guarantees to forestall abusers of Telegram from interfering with the way forward for over 950 million customers.
Telegram’s founder and CEO, Pavel Durov, shared his ideas about what occurred in France final month and revealed his plans for the platform and customers’ future.
Via a publish on X, he mentioned that he’s nonetheless making an attempt to grasp what occurred in France again in August, highlighting that every one issues concerning the platform have been heard.
Durov said that he made it his private purpose to forestall abusers from interfering with the way forward for the platform’s greater than 950 million customers.
Addressing France Events
Durov revealed his full assertion through a publish on Telegram. He defined that final month, he was interviewed by police for 4 days after arriving in Paris.
He was reportedly informed that he could also be personally answerable for different individuals’s unlawful use of Telegram as a result of the French authorities didn’t obtain responses from the platform.
According to his assertion, this was stunning for a number of causes.
1. Telegram has an official consultant within the EU
Telegram has an official consultant within the EU that accepts and replies to EU requests. The e-mail deal with has been publicly obtainable for anybody within the EU who googles “Telegram EU deal with for legislation enforcement.”
2. Authorities had methods of reaching Durov
French authorities had varied methods of reaching him to request help. Durov defined that as a French citizen, he was a frequent visitor on the French consulate in Dubai. Also, some time in the past when he was requested, he personally helped set up a hotline with Telegram to take care of the specter of terrorism in France.
3. A misguided strategy was used
If a rustic is sad with an Internet service, the already established observe is to start out authorized motion towards the service. According to Durov, utilizing legal guidelines from the pre-smartphone period to cost a CEO with crimes dedicated by third events on a platform that he manages is a misguided strategy.
4. Such occasions put stress on know-how builders
Durov defined that constructing know-how is already arduous sufficient, and no innovator can construct new instruments in the event that they know that at one level they are often held personally answerable for the potential abuse of the instruments in query.
Establishing Privacy-Security Balance
In his publish, Durov defined that establishing the appropriate steadiness between privateness and safety just isn’t a simple job. This includes a number of actions together with the next:
- Reconciling privateness legal guidelines with legislation enforcement necessities and native legal guidelines with EU legal guidelines
- Taking under consideration technological limitations
- Making positive that the platform’s processes are globally constant, and guaranteeing they’re not abused in international locations with weak rule of legislation
Durov mentioned that he and his Telegram staff have been dedicated to participating with regulators to seek out the appropriate steadiness.
Defending Users’ Rights in Authoritarian Regimes
He additionally highlighted that they stand by their ideas, and their expertise is formed by the mission to guard customers in authoritarian regimes.
Durov additionally mentioned that generally, they can’t agree with a rustic’s regulator on the appropriate steadiness between privateness and safety. He mentioned that in such instances, they’re prepared to depart that nation.
He supplied extra examples together with the next:
- Russia: When the nation requested for Telegram to ship “encryption keys” to allow surveillance – they refused. This led to a ban on Telegram in Russia.
- Iran: When the nation demanded Telegram blocked channels of peaceable protesters, additionally they refused, which led to a ban in Iran as effectively.
Durov mentioned that Telegram is ready to depart markets that aren’t appropriate with their ideas.
He highlighted that they don’t seem to be doing this for cash, however are pushed by the intention to carry good and defend individuals’s fundamental rights, particularly in locations the place such rights are violated.
Continuously Perfectioning Telegram
Telegram’s CEO highlighted that the platform is way from good, and one instance is the truth that French authorities have been confused as to the place they need to ship requests.
However, he mentioned that claims that Telegram is a few type of “anarchic paradise” are usually not true. The platform reportedly takes down tens of millions of dangerous posts and channels each day, and so they publish each day transparency experiences.
Durov supplied an instance of how they’re fighting child abuse, and combating terrorism.
Also, they’ve direct hotlines with NGOs to course of moderation requests sooner.
Protecting Over 950M Users
Durov mentioned on the finish of his assertion that additionally they hear the voices that say their measures are usually not sufficient. He defined that Telegram’s abrupt improve in person rely to over 950 million precipitated rising pains, and made it simpler for criminals to abuse the platform.
He said that he made it his private purpose to make sure the platform will enhance, and the method has already begun.
Durov said that he’ll share new particulars on the progress quickly, and mentioned he hopes the unhappy August occasions will find yourself making Telegram safer and stronger.
