Pavel Durov Issues Urgent Warning: The Window to Protect Internet Freedom Is Closing.

Pavel Durov, founder and CEO of the messaging app Telegram, cautions that a “dark, dystopian world” is on the horizon as governments globally curtail privacy protections.

“As I approach my 41st birthday, I don’t feel inclined to celebrate. Our generation is running out of time to preserve the free internet created for us by our predecessors,” Durov stated in a recent post on X.

“Countries that were once free are now implementing dystopian policies,” Durov mentioned, pointing to the European Union’s Chat Control proposal, the introduction of digital IDs in the UK, and new age verification requirements for social media access in Australia.

“What was once the promise of the free exchange of information is being transformed into the ultimate tool of control.”

“Germany is punishing anyone who dares to criticize officials online. The UK is sentencing thousands for their tweets. France is launching criminal investigations against tech leaders advocating for freedom and privacy.”

“A dark, dystopian future is rapidly approaching—while we remain oblivious. Our generation risks being remembered as the last to enjoy freedoms, and yet allowing them to be taken away,” Durov continued.

Privacy protections form the backbone of Bitcoin and the broader cryptocurrency sector. Bitcoin was designed to function pseudonymously, allowing peer-to-peer transactions without banks, using addresses instead of names as part of its privacy measures.

Germany may have blocked the EU’s Chat Control

EU lawmakers were set to vote on the Chat Control legislation next week, which critics argue undermines encrypted messaging and the right to privacy by requiring platforms like Telegram, WhatsApp, and Signal to permit regulators to screen messages prior to encryption and sending.

However, the legislation has faced significant opposition, particularly from the leader of Germany’s largest political party. Germany, holding 97 seats in the European Parliament, was expected to have a decisive vote on its passage.

The president of the messaging app Signal, Meredith Whittaker, remarked on Thursday that while Germany’s resistance to the measure is a positive development, she cautions that “the battle is not over,” as the matter is now moving to “the European Council, where it remains unresolved.”

She also raised concerns that any future efforts to implement similar measures permitting content scanning should be opposed, as these would compromise encryption and create “a dangerous backdoor.”

“The technical consensus is evident: you cannot create a backdoor that only allows the ‘good guys’ access. However they are framed, these proposals lead to cybersecurity vulnerabilities that hackers and hostile nations are poised to exploit.”

Concerns Raised Over UK’s Digital ID

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer introduced a digital ID initiative in September that will require citizens to prove their legal right to reside and work in the country.

The government promotes this initiative as a method to tackle illegal employment while minimizing wait times to verify identities and access services such as licenses, childcare, welfare, and taxes.