By Guest 
Pavel Durov declares Telegram would shut down operations in France rather than weaken encryption or install backdoors for authorities.
Telegram’s Ultimatum on Encryption
Pavel Durov, Telegram’s CEO and founder, has declared that user security is non-negotiable—even if it means withdrawing from an entire country. In a post on his personal channel, Durov revealed that France recently came “within hours” of banning end-to-end encryption after its Senate passed a bill requiring messaging apps to create police backdoors for private chats. The proposal was ultimately blocked by France’s National Assembly.
A Dangerous Precedent Avoided
Durov praised the Assembly’s rejection as “sensible,” warning that adopting such a law would have made France the first democracy to revoke citizens’ right to private communication. He emphasized Telegram’s stance: “We’d leave any market before compromising encryption or fundamental rights.” Unlike some competitors, Telegram refuses to sacrifice privacy for market share.
Why Backdoors Threaten Everyone
The founder explained that technically, there’s no way to guarantee only police could access a backdoor. Once created, foreign spies, hackers, or criminals could exploit it, jeopardizing law-abiding users’ security. France’s bill—aimed at drug trafficking—would have been ineffective anyway, Durov argued, as criminals would simply migrate to smaller encrypted apps or VPNs.
Telegram’s Track Record
In its 12-year history, Telegram has never disclosed “a single byte” of private messages. Under EU Digital Services Act rulings, it only shares IP addresses and phone numbers with valid warrants—never message content. This incident reinforces Telegram’s commitment to being the last major holdout against surveillance demands.