Pavel Durov has sharply criticized the European Union’s approach to regulating online platforms, accusing the bloc of advancing a “globalist” censorship agenda under the guise of combating harmful digital content. The Telegram founder’s remarks come in response to a recent report highlighting alleged abuses occurring within private groups on his messaging platform, intensifying an already contentious debate over privacy, moderation, and state oversight in the digital age.

The controversy was sparked by a report aired on France 24 on April 9, citing research conducted by AI Forensics. According to the study, nearly 25,000 users across Spanish and Italian Telegram groups were involved in sharing explicit images of women, often without consent and sometimes in exchange for money. The report also alleged that these groups facilitated doxxing and coordinated harassment campaigns targeting women.

The researchers claimed that much of the content circulating within these groups originated from mainstream social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram. Telegram, they argued, served as a central “hub” for organizing, distributing, and monetizing such material. The report further emphasized that Telegram’s features-including end-to-end encryption and private, paid-access channels-created an environment where abusive behavior could flourish with relative anonymity and limited accountability.

AI Forensics concluded that Telegram should be designated a “very large online platform” (VLOP) under the EU’s Digital Services Act. This classification would subject the platform to stricter compliance requirements, including enhanced content moderation obligations, transparency measures, and risk mitigation protocols. The recommendation reflects growing concern within the EU about the role of encrypted........

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