Durov accuses EU of using moderation rules to expand surveillance

Telegram founder Pavel Durov this week accused European Union officials of using a moderation narrative to justify wider surveillance powers and pressure messaging platforms to give states access to private communications. He posted the comments on his public Telegram channel and on the company’s official blog.

Durov argued regulators are conflating demands for content moderation with security needs to push technical requirements that would let governments access user data. He wrote that rules aimed at removing illegal or extremist content are being used to demand changes such as “traceability” mechanisms that could undermine encryption.

Telegram uses end-to-end encryption for secret chats and cloud-based encryption for standard chats. Durov warned that requirements to enable traceability or allow third-party access would either weaken end-to-end encryption or create backdoors that could be exploited. He wrote that Telegram “will not build features that allow third-party access to private messages.”

European institutions and some member states have proposed stricter obligations for large platforms to prevent the spread of illegal material, disinformation and extremist content. Officials have argued companies must do more to remove unlawful content quickly and to be more accountable for how their services are designed and operated.

Privacy and digital-rights groups have raised concerns about some proposed enforcement tools. They have warned that measures such as metadata retention, automated message scanning or guaranteed law enforcement access could reduce privacy and weaken overall security. Durov framed his statements within that debate and called for clear legal limits on state access to user data.

Telegram’s public messaging stressed the company’s opposition to legal requirements that would introduce systemic vulnerabilities. The company highlighted past instances in which it resisted requests it considered incompatible with user privacy and said it would pursue legal options where necessary to protect confidentiality.

Brussels negotiators are debating how to balance content moderation obligations with privacy and encryption protections. The outcome of those discussions will determine whether and how new rules require technical changes by messaging services and how national authorities can seek access to user data.