Telegram founder: Russians now have 'more freedom than Europeans'

Published December 31, 2024 at 5:38 p.m.

Foreign. Messaging app Telegram founder Pavel Durov claims that Russian citizens now have greater access to media on the platform than EU citizens. This is due to the censorship that the EU has forced the app to introduce.

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The statement is made in a New Year's message in which Durov comments on the differences in media freedom between Russia and Europe.

“Access to some Russian media has been restricted in the EU under DSA and sanctions laws. At the same time, all Western media channels on Telegram are still freely available in Russia,” Durov noted on Telegram on Tuesday. He is referring to the EU's digital censorship law Digital Services Act, DSA, which came into force recently.

Durov continues:

“Who would have thought that in 2025 Russian Telegram users would have more freedom than Europeans?”

It's a crime to even mention what they write
The EU's blocking of Russian media was introduced on Telegram on Sunday and has drawn criticism from Moscow, which describes the decision as “a measure of censorship.” The decision covers the Ria Novosti news agency, the Izvestia and Rossiyskaya Gazeta newspapers, and the Rossiya-1, Pervyy Kanal and NTV television channels.

It is prohibited to distribute content from certain Russian state-run media outlets in the EU under the current sanctions. This includes referencing, republishing, or otherwise disseminating material from outlets such as RT and Sputnik. The EU has banned the broadcast of these outlets on TV, radio, and the internet within member states.

The ban also includes publishing Russian media content on social media or other platforms.

Even just directly referring to or distributing content produced by these media outlets may fall under the ban, depending on the context. This is especially true if the purpose is to further disseminate the material. However, the ban does not apply if the content is used for journalistic, academic or research purposes – but this exception only applies as long as it is done in a way that is not considered to contribute to the spread of “disinformation”.

Telegram, which is known for its decentralized structure and its resistance to censorship, has become an important platform for both independent journalists and established media. However, EU regulations have led to the blocking of several Russian channels, which according to Durov shows a worrying development for freedom of expression in Europe.

JUST IN – Telegram CEO Pavel Durov says Russian app users enjoy more freedom than Europeans due to the EU's Digital Services Act. pic.twitter.com/bV5XT0Y8Rr

— Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) December 31, 2024