Running out of time to save free internet: Telegram CEO
What's the story
Pavel Durov, the CEO of Telegram, has issued a stark warning about an impending "dark, dystopian" future. He took to X to express his concerns over the increasing control governments are exerting over the internet. Durov highlighted several instances from different countries where such restrictions are already in place and stressed that his generation is running out of time to save the free internet.
Control issues
Examples of internet restrictions
Durov, who founded Telegram in 2013 as a privacy-centric messaging service, noted that the initial vision of the internet as a platform for free expression is being replaced by tools of state control. He cited examples like identification requirements in the UK, compulsory online age verification in Australia, and plans for mass surveillance of private messages within the European Union as evidence of increasing restrictions.
Warning signs
Durov's views on our generation
Durov warned that these policies could lead the world toward a "dark, dystopian" future where freedoms would be lost. He said, "Our generation risks going down in history as the last one that had freedoms and allowed them to be taken away." The Telegram chief also claimed society is being misled into believing its main goal is to "destroy everything our forefathers left us: tradition, privacy, sovereignty, the free market, and free speech."
Online reactions
Post gets massive engagement
Durov's post has garnered over eight million views and thousands of comments, with most users agreeing with his concerns. One user wrote, "You are not wrong, sh*t is getting worse around the world, and most people think everything is getting better. We have a lot of work ahead." Another said they were shocked at what was happening in Europe.