Telegram Founder Warns of a ‘Dark, Dystopian’ Future as Governments Erode Online Privacy

Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of Telegram, has issued a stark warning about the state of global privacy, claiming that governments are steadily dismantling the foundations of a free and open internet

In a post shared on X on Thursday, Durov said he felt little reason to celebrate his 41st birthday, lamenting that “our generation is running out of time to save the free internet built for us by our fathers.”

He accused governments of once-free nations of introducing “dystopian measures” under the guise of safety and regulation, pointing to examples such as the European Union’s Chat Control proposal, the UK’s digital ID plan, and Australia’s mandatory age verification rules for social media. “What was once the promise of free information exchange is being turned into the ultimate tool of control,” he wrote.

Durov also criticized individual governments for their increasing restrictions on speech, alleging that Germany persecutes online critics, the UK imprisons people for their posts, and France investigates tech leaders who defend privacy and freedom. “A dark, dystopian world is approaching fast — while we’re asleep,” he warned, adding that this generation risks becoming “the last one that had freedoms and allowed them to be taken away.”

Germany Pushes Back Against EU Chat Control

The EU’s controversial Chat Control proposal, which would require messaging services like Telegram, WhatsApp, and Signal to scan private messages for harmful content before encryption, has sparked widespread backlash. Critics argue that such a policy would effectively end end-to-end encryption, a cornerstone of digital privacy and cybersecurity.

In a significant development, Germany’s ruling party has come out against the measure, potentially blocking its passage in the European Parliament, where the country holds 97 seats. Meredith Whittaker, president of Signal, welcomed Germany’s opposition but cautioned that “the war is not over.” She warned that similar attempts to weaken encryption could resurface in the European Council, calling any proposal that enables message scanning “a dangerous backdoor” that hackers and hostile actors could exploit.

UK’s Digital ID Plan Raises Alarms

In the UK, Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s digital ID scheme, announced in September, has drawn strong criticism from privacy advocates. The initiative would require citizens to verify their right to live and work in the country via governments app that stores personal information. While the government argues it would streamline services and reduce fraud, critics warn of potential government overreach and data misuse.

Public opposition has been swift, with over 2.8 million people signing a petition against the proposal. Under UK law, any petition exceeding 100,000 signatures must be considered for Parliamentary debate—a sign that public concern over privacy and digital rights is only growing.

Durov’s warning underscores a larger battle over the future of digital freedom—one that pits privacy advocates and technologists against expanding state surveillance powers in the name of security.

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