Durov Defends Himself Against Unfair Charges

It’s been nearly two weeks since Telegram’s CEO, Pavel Durov, was arrested in France. Recently, he broke his silence, addressing the accusations against him in a 600-word message on Telegram, where he criticized the charges as unjust.

Durov pointed out, “If a country has issues with an online service, the proper course of action is to pursue legal steps against the service, not the CEO personally.”

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He further added, “Using outdated laws from a time before smartphones to hold a CEO accountable for what third-parties do on his platform is a flawed approach.”

The Investigation and Charges

Towards the end of last month, Durov was charged for allegedly facilitating various illegal activities on Telegram, including drug trafficking and money laundering. These charges emerged after an investigation linked Telegram to the distribution of child abuse videos by an unknown user.

However, Durov emphasized the difficulty in balancing user privacy with security concerns. He made it clear that Telegram is prepared to exit countries that don’t align with its mission of “protecting user privacy in authoritarian regimes.”

Admitting to Challenges

Durov acknowledged that as Telegram has grown, it has faced challenges, including misuse of the platform by criminals. The app, which now boasts over 950 million monthly active users, has had its share of problems.

“That’s why I’ve made it my personal priority to address these issues,” Durov said. “We’ve already started making improvements, and I’ll share more updates soon.”

Since his statement, Telegram has updated its FAQ to include a new tool that allows users to flag illegal content in private and group chats through a “Report” button. This new feature marks a significant policy shift, as users previously had no way to report content in private conversations.

Encryption Debate Still Unresolved

One thing Durov didn’t address in his message is that Telegram’s end-to-end encryption (E2EE) isn’t enabled by default in regular chats. Users have to manually switch this feature on if they want the added layer of privacy.

Moxie Marlinspike, the creator of the Signal messaging app, has been a vocal critic of Telegram’s security practices. He noted that because Telegram operates as a “cloud messenger,” all messages are stored on its servers, not on users’ devices.

“With a single request, Telegram’s Russian team could access every message sent or received by the French president, his contacts, and even their contacts,” Marlinspike claimed.

Matthew Green, a security expert and professor at Johns Hopkins University, also criticized the app for making E2EE complicated to enable, requiring multiple steps for users to activate it.

He explained, “Most conversations aren’t protected by encryption, and it’s only available for one-on-one chats. Group chats with more than two people don’t have this option.”

Green also pointed out that Telegram’s “Secret Chats” feature only works when both users are online at the same time, making it less user-friendly for those who aren’t tech-savvy.

Conclusion

While Durov’s statement brings some clarity to the ongoing situation, it also highlights Telegram’s ongoing struggles with security and privacy. The introduction of the “Report” feature is a step forward, but critics continue to emphasize the need for default encryption to ensure user safety across all types of chats.