Overview
- On his 41st birthday, Pavel Durov posted on X that he is not celebrating and warned that his generation is running out of time to save online freedoms.
- He pointed to specific measures under discussion or rollout, including EU proposals to scan private messages, UK digital ID plans, and Australia’s age‑verification rules.
- Durov alleged broader repression in Western democracies, claiming Germany targets online critics, the UK jails people over tweets, and France investigates privacy‑focused tech leaders.
- Some users reported seeing an in‑app Telegram banner titled “End of free internet” that linked to Durov’s Telegram group carrying his message.
- Coverage notes recent French legal scrutiny of Durov and Telegram’s subsequent policy updates clarifying cooperation with lawful requests, while public reaction ranged from support to criticism for omitting Russia.