On his 41st birthday, Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov issued a stark warning: the digital freedoms once taken for granted are under siege. In a message displayed to Telegram users and shared on X, Durov said he had “little reason to celebrate,” arguing that his generation may be the last to enjoy an open, free Internet.
“What was once the promise of the free exchange of information is being turned into the ultimate tool of control,” he wrote, urging that there is “increasingly less time to save the free Internet.” He singled out several government initiatives he views as alarming, including digital ID systems in the UK, mandatory online age verification in Australia, and mass scanning of private messages under proposals in the EU.
Durov’s message mapped out a vision of creeping control. He accused Germany of persecuting online critics, the UK of imprisoning thousands for their tweets, and France of targeting tech leaders who defend privacy. He asserted that Western democracies are increasingly adopting tools that undermine anonymity, free speech, and individual sovereignty.
One prominent target of his criticisms is the European Union’s proposed “Chat Control” regulation, which would require encrypted messaging services to allow authorities to scan private communications for illicit content. Critics say such mandates risk weakening end-to-end encryption and opening backdoors into private conversations.
In the UK, Durov referenced the government’s digital identity plans—sometimes called “BritCards”—which would require citizens to submit personal information and verify identities to access a variety of public services. Opponents warn these systems may infringe on privacy and enable state monitoring.
Australia’s forthcoming age verification regime also drew his mention. Beginning December 2025, authorities plan to enforce checks before users under 16 can access social networks and other online services. Durov flagged this as another example of governments using “protecting children” as justification for intrusive systems.
Durov’s warnings come amid his own legal entanglements. In August 2024, he was arrested in France as part of a probe into allegations that Telegram facilitated criminal activity, including child abuse content and drug trafficking. He was released on bail and placed under judicial supervision, required to report regularly and was initially restricted from leaving France. In March 2025, a judge permitted him to travel abroad temporarily, and he has since relocated to Dubai.
Durov has repeatedly framed his legal situation as part of a broader clash over privacy and speech. After his arrest, he reaffirmed he would “rather die” than grant backdoor access to private messages.
The stakes, and the call to awareness
In his birthday message, Durov did more than criticize. He articulated a narrative of betrayal—he writes that society has been persuaded to abandon “tradition, privacy, sovereignty, the free market, and free speech.” He warns humanity is on a path to “self-destruction” if these values are forsaken. He concluded: “No, I’m not going to celebrate today. I’m running out of time. We are running out of time.”
His message immediately triggered debate online. Some lauded him as a defender of digital rights, while others questioned his selective focus on Western democracies—pointing out the absence of critique toward Russia, his country of origin, where Internet restrictions are also severe.
Durov’s warnings arrive at a moment when many democracies are reexamining the balance between online safety, regulation, and individual rights. Proposals like the EU’s Chat Control, national digital ID systems, and mandatory age verification have drawn both support and resistance from civil society, tech firms, and privacy advocates.
Whether Durov’s predictions will prove prophetic—or alarmist—remains to be seen. What is clear is that his message has injected urgency into ongoing debates about surveillance, encryption, and the future shape of the Internet.
