Telegram CEO Pavel Durov warned that the messaging app might go away France if authorities proceed pressuring the platform to grant entry to customers’ encrypted messages.
“Telegram would quite exit a market than undermine encryption with backdoors and violate primary human rights,” Durov acknowledged Monday on X.
He praised the French National Assembly for rejecting a proposed legislation final month that will have banned encryption, which he stated would have made France the primary nation to “strip its residents of their proper to privateness.”
However, the encryption debate reignited final Friday after renewed calls from the Paris Police Prefect, Durov added.
“It’s technically unattainable to ensure that solely the police can entry a backdoor. Once launched, a backdoor may be exploited by different events, from overseas brokers to hackers. As a consequence, the non-public messages of all law-abiding residents can get compromised,” Durov wrote.
He stated the legislation wouldn’t assist fight drug trafficking as criminals might nonetheless talk utilizing smaller apps regardless of the backdoor.
“In accordance with the EU Digital Services Act, if supplied with a legitimate courtroom order, Telegram would solely disclose the IP addresses and telephone numbers of felony suspects – not messages,” he stated.
Durov famous that the European Commission additionally proposed an analogous initiative for backdoors for messaging apps, underlining that “no nation is resistant to the gradual erosion of freedoms.”
“We should preserve explaining to lawmakers that encryption isn’t constructed to guard criminals – it protects the privateness and security of unusual individuals. Losing that safety can be tragic,” Durov added.
Last 12 months, Pavel Durov was arrested at Le Bourget Airport close to Paris after arriving from Azerbaijan, in response to a number of French media stories. French authorities took him into custody primarily based on an arrest warrant issued over allegations that Telegram was getting used for cash laundering, drug trafficking, and sharing content material associated to the exploitation of minors.
Durov, who has confronted criticism and strain from a number of governments over Telegram’s lack of content material moderation, was notified of his arrest by France’s National Anti-Fraud Office. The incident sparked outrage in Russia, with officers accusing France of double requirements on freedom of speech.
Source: www.dailysabah.com