Pavel Durov took a dig at Russian authorities on Thursday after being charged with facilitating terrorism through the alleged misuse of Telegram.
Durov Says He Refused to Censor Telegram
Russia’s Federal Security Service said Telegram failed to remove channels, chats and bots allegedly used by Ukrainian intelligence to organize attacks inside Russia, according to a BBC report. The authorities have issued an arrest warrant against Durov.
The Russia-born tech entrepreneur said Moscow labeled him as a “terrorist” because he rejected their push for “mass surveillance” and content controls on the messaging app.
Durov stated that his designation on the terrorism blacklist bans him from “publishing information on the internet” in Russia.
He then mocked the authorities, saying, “Russian officials are clearly confused about who can ban whom from the Internet.”
Kremlin Vs. Durov
Durov left Russia in 2014 after refusing to comply with government demands to censor opposition voices on a social networking platform he created.
Durov currently lives in Dubai, which is also the operational headquarters of Telegram. He holds multiple citizenships, including Russia, France, the United Arab Emirates, and Saint Kitts and Nevis.
Telegram Token Slips
Telegram’s native cryptocurrency Gram (CRYPTO: GRAM) has slid over 3% since Russia’s designation.
Past government actions against Durov have also triggered sharp moves in the token.
In August 2024, Durov was arrested by French authorities on allegations that he failed to sufficiently moderate Telegram to prevent criminal activity. In the days that followed, the coin, then known as Toncoin, fell sharply.
Price Action: At the time of writing, GRAM was exchanging hands at $1.40, down 1.21% over the last 24 hours, according to data from Benzinga Pro.
Photo Courtesy: Thrive Studios ID on Shutterstock.com
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