Messaging app Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov warns that a “dark, dystopian world” is approaching, with governments worldwide rolling back privacy protections.
“I’m turning 41, but I don’t feel like celebrating. Our generation is running out of time to save the free internet built for us by our fathers,” said Durov in an X post on Thursday.
“Once-free countries are introducing dystopian measures,” said Durov, referencing the European Union’s Chat Control proposal, digital IDs in the UK and new rules requiring online age checks to access social media in Australia.
“What was once the promise of the free exchange of information is being turned into the ultimate tool of control.”
“Germany is persecuting anyone who dares to criticize officials on the Internet. The UK is imprisoning thousands for their tweets. France is criminally investigating tech leaders who defend freedom and privacy.”
“A dark, dystopian world is approaching fast — while we’re asleep. Our generation risks going down in history as the last one that had freedoms — and allowed them to be taken away,” Pavel added.
Privacy protections are a cornerstone of Bitcoin and the broader cryptocurrency industry. Bitcoin was created to operate pseudonymously, using addresses instead of names, and allowing peer-to-peer transactions without the involvement of banks, among other measures.
Germany may have blocked the EU’s Chat Control
EU lawmakers were set to vote on the Chat Control law next week, which critics argue undermines encrypted messaging and people’s right to privacy as it requires services such as Telegram, WhatsApp and Signal to allow regulators to screen messages before they are encrypted and sent.
The legislation, however, has been dealt a heavy blow, with the head of Germany’s largest political party coming out in opposition. Germany, which holds 97 seats in the European Parliament, was seen as having the final say on whether it would pass.
The president of messaging app Signal, Meredith Whittaker, said on Thursday that while Germany’s opposition to the measure is a relief, she warns that “the war is not over,” because it now moves to “the European Council, where the issue is unresolved.”
She also warns that any further attempts to enact similar measures allowing the scanning of content should be opposed because it negates encryption and also creates “a dangerous backdoor.”
“The technical consensus is clear: you can’t create a backdoor that only lets the ‘good guys’ in. However they’re dressed up, these proposals create cybersecurity loopholes that hackers and hostile nations are eagerly waiting to exploit .”
The UK’s Digital ID has sparked concerns, too
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced a digital ID scheme in September, which would require citizens to prove their right to live and work in the country.
The government is pushing the measure as a way to combat illegal workers, while also cutting down wait times to verify identities and gain access to government services, such as licenses, childcare, welfare and tax.
Critics argue that the scheme raises privacy concerns as individuals would be required to provide personal information to be stored on a government app, and it would be too easy for the government to misuse it.
Related: I funded my lifestyle from Bitcoin, not Telegram: Pavel Durov
Over 2.8 million people have already signed a petition opposing the introduction of a digital ID. Petitions that gain more than 100,000 signatures have to be considered for debate in Parliament.
Australia’s online age verification system raises privacy issues as well
Australia will restrict access to social media platforms for users under 16 from Dec. 10, and one of the measures floated to enforce the ban has been an online digital age verification system.
Lawmakers in the country argue that the scheme will protect minors from harmful content online. However, critics share similar privacy concerns with the UK system, namely that it could lead to government misuse and create privacy issues with the storage of data.
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