Telegram founder Pavel Durov has criticized the French authorities for trying to ban encryption, calling it a severe menace to digital privateness.
In an April 21 assertion on X, Durov revealed that French lawmakers almost handed a invoice final month that may have pressured messaging apps to incorporate backdoors that may give legislation enforcement companies entry to non-public messages.
The Telegram founder praised the Nationwide Meeting for blocking the laws, arguing that it will have made France the primary nation to get rid of its residents’ proper to digital privateness. He stated governments with poor information on civil liberties have by no means gone so far as banning encryption.
No backdoors for Telegram
In response to Durov, the introduction of backdoors weakens safety relatively than enhancing it. He argued that anybody, together with overseas governments and cyber criminals, might exploit a backdoor whether it is created.
He additional argued that the actual victims of such backdoors can be law-abiding residents whose messages could possibly be intercepted or leaked.
Durov additionally challenged the notion that such laws would curb unlawful actions. He highlighted that criminals would merely migrate to smaller, safer apps or use instruments like Digital Non-public Networks (VPNs), making them even tougher to trace.
Durov clarified that Telegram would relatively exit any market than compromise its encryption requirements or violate elementary human rights.
He emphasised that Telegram has by no means shared non-public messages with any authorities in its 12-year historical past. The platform solely offers restricted knowledge, resembling IP addresses and telephone numbers, and solely when introduced with a legitimate courtroom order, in compliance with the EU Digital Companies Act.
In closing, Durov warned that lawmakers should cease treating encryption as a instrument for criminals. He stated that encryption is a elementary proper that safeguards the privateness of on a regular basis individuals.
In response to Durov:
“The battle is much from over. This month, the European Fee proposed an analogous initiative so as to add backdoors to messaging apps. No nation is proof against the sluggish erosion of freedoms. Day-after-day, these freedoms come underneath assault — and on daily basis, we should defend them.”