Pavel Durov, founder of messenger service Telegram, has addressed the public on his personal Telegram channel to clarify his relationship with Russia. He wanted to respond to those who “wondered whether Telegram is less safe for Ukrainians because I used to live in Russia,” writes Durov.
Telegram is increasingly being used for political communication, especially in Russia and Ukraine. Both the state news agencies and well-known activists and protest groups use the messenger to spread their messages.
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Especially during the Ukraine war, many local people use the messenger to exchange information about Russia’s war of aggression, such as troop movements or Russian bombardments.
Durov had previously faced criticism for announcing plans to block Russian and Ukrainian channels during the war due to the rising spread of disinformation. But a few days later, Durov retracted this statement and assured that he would not block any Telegram channels.
“Numerous users have asked us not to consider shutting down Telegram feeds for the duration of the conflict as we are their only source of information.”
Ukrainian mother and reprisals by the FSB
The text published on Monday evening apparently refers to criticism of Durov’s previous statements. In the text, which the Russian published in English, he emphasizes his Ukrainian origins on his mother’s side: “To this day we have many relatives in Ukraine. So this tragic conflict is a very personal one for both me and Telegram.”
More about the war in Ukraine at Tagesspiegel Plus:
For those who doubted that he treats Russian and Ukrainian accounts equally, Durov wanted to tell how his career in Russia ended.
“Nine years ago I was the CEO of VK, the largest social network in Russia and Ukraine.” In 2013, Durov writes, the Russian domestic intelligence service FSB asked him to release data on Ukrainian users of VK who attended the Euro-Maidan in 2013 protested against the pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych.
According to him, Durov refused to hand over the data to the FSB at the time. He felt that this was “cheating” on the Ukrainian users. As a result, he was fired as CEO and had to leave Russia.
[Alle aktuellen Entwicklungen im Ukraine-Krieg können Sie hier in unserem Newsblog verfolgen.]
It is unclear whether this representation is correct. According to media reports in 2014, Durov said his dismissal was related to his refusal to delete a VK group of opposition politician Alexei Navalny.
“I would do it again without hesitation”
“I lost my business and my home and I would do it again without hesitation,” Durov writes. He still smiles proudly when he sees his VK post from back then – in which he posted the FSB’s order, with his reply.
The post that Durov addresses can still be found on his VK profile. In it he wrote at the time: “Handing over Ukrainians’ personal data to the Russian authorities would not only be a violation of the law, but also a betrayal of all the millions of Ukrainians who have trusted us.”
The letter from the FSB lists 39 VK groups whose members the secret service wanted to find. The post is from April 2014, the letter from the FSB is from December 2013.
A lot of time has passed since then, and a lot has changed, Durov writes today. “I no longer live in Russia, I no longer have any companies or employees there.” But one thing remains the same: “I stand up for our users, no matter what. Your rights to privacy are sacred – now more than ever.”
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