Telegram users’ data is safe, promises founder and CEO Pavel Durov. A transfer to Russian authorities would not take place, not even for users from Ukraine. His own past is proof that he opposes demands from Russia.
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Telegram: Founder promises privacy protection
Messenger Telegram is considered one of many alternatives to WhatsApp in this country. In Russia and Ukraine, on the other hand, Telegram is much more popular. Now the founder and CEO has publicly acknowledged that Telegram users’ data is safe – regardless of location and nationality. “I stand up for our users no matter what. Your right to privacy is sacred. Now more than ever,” Durov writes on his own Telegram channel.
Rumors had previously arisen that the operators of the messenger Sharing user data with Russian authorities would. Durov was born in Russia but now has French nationality. According to him, his own past shows that he has never bowed to Russian pressure. As the founder of the social network VKontakte (VK), which is considered to be Russia’s Facebook, he says he has not handed over Ukrainian users’ data to the domestic intelligence service FSB. As a result, he had to relinquish control of VK and leave Russia.
In his statement, Durov also refers to his own mother’s Ukrainian roots. The safety of users is one for him matter of the heart. The entry in his Telegram channel has been viewed almost a million times (source: Pavel Durov).
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Telegram popular in Russia and Ukraine
For many Russians and Ukrainians, Telegram has emerged as one of the central means of communication proven. Both sides use the messenger intensively. In Russia, Telegram is said to have had around 38 million active users by the end of 2020. The messenger is also growing in Germany, but is also considered a gathering place for people with right-wing extremist positions.