TLDR
- Pavel Durov says Russia designated him a terrorist after he refused surveillance and censorship demands on Telegram.
- Durov claims Russian authorities also banned him from publishing information online.
- Russia’s Federal Security Service accuses Telegram of hosting channels tied to terrorist groups and Ukrainian intelligence.
- The claim follows a February probe into nearly 155,000 Telegram channels allegedly violating Russian law.
- Durov also faces ongoing legal issues in France and new legal action in Australia over content moderation.
Telegram founder Pavel Durov says Russia has labeled him a terrorist. He made the claim in a Telegram post on Thursday.
Durov said the designation came after he refused government demands. Those demands included mass surveillance and censorship on the messaging app.
He also said Russian authorities barred him from publishing information online. Durov joked that officials had gotten confused about who can ban whom from the internet.
The statement came one day after Russia’s Federal Security Service brought charges against him. The agency accused Telegram of helping terrorist activity.
What Russia Is Alleging
Russian officials claim Telegram failed to remove channels used by terrorist groups. They also allege the app hosted channels linked to Ukrainian intelligence services.
This case builds on an earlier investigation. Russia opened that probe in February.
At the time, regulators said nearly 155,000 channels, chats and bots remained active on Telegram. They claimed these violated laws covering extremism, terrorism and drug trafficking.
Durov has not detailed a legal response to the new terrorism designation. His public comments so far focus on free speech and government overreach.
Legal Troubles Beyond Russia
This is not Durov’s first major legal challenge. French authorities arrested him in August 2024.
That case remains under investigation. Prosecutors allege Telegram failed to moderate illegal content and ignored law enforcement requests.
Durov has denied wrongdoing. He argues French authorities skipped proper legal steps when requesting information from Telegram.
His arrest sparked public backlash. A campaign backed by the TON community gathered more than 9 million signatures asking France to release him.
France later eased restrictions on Durov. Officials lifted his travel ban entirely after initially letting him return to Dubai in March 2025.
Telegram now also faces legal pressure in Australia. Regulators there launched court proceedings this week over alleged failures to remove terrorism-related content.
Durov has spoken out on other privacy issues too. In April, he warned that the European Union’s planned age-verification app could lead to broader surveillance.
That same month, he linked leaked tax data to a rise in crypto kidnappings in France. He said Telegram would leave the country rather than give authorities access to private messages.
The Russian terrorism designation adds another layer to Durov’s growing list of legal fights across multiple countries.
