- P. Durov criticizes EU censorship of media outlets, which he sees as higher than in Russia
- Russia vows to retaliate against state media channels blocked by Telegram
- Telegram becomes a profitable platform for the first time after huge losses
- Telegram updates its security and privacy policy following the arrest of Durov
P. Durov criticizes EU censorship of media outlets, which he sees as higher than in Russia
Pavel Durov, founder of Telegram, has criticized the European Union's cradle of democracy's restrictions on the media, arguing that Russian users enjoy greater freedom of access to information than their European counterparts.
"Access to certain Russian media in the EU has been restricted under DSA/sanctions laws. Meanwhile, all Western media Telegram feeds in Russia remain freely accessible", he wrote on his social media account "X". "Who would have thought that in 2025 Russian Telegram users would have more freedom than European ones?"
P. Durov's comments come amid growing concerns about the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA) and sanctions against Russian state-owned channels, ostensibly to curb disinformation. While the EU argues that these measures are essential to ensure the integrity of information, critics such as Durov argue that they threaten freedom of expression by imposing censorship-like restrictions.
The DSA, which aims to combat disinformation and illegal content, significantly tightens the rules on digital platforms. As a result, several Russian media outlets are now inaccessible in the EU[1].
P. Durov also criticized tech giant Apple, pointing out that the company's application review process has delayed the roll-out of a significant Telegram update.
"We've planned an epic New Year's update with unique gifts for our users. Unfortunately, it's been stuck in Apple's review process for a few days now and we still don't have a response from them," said Durov, who created Telegram, regretfully.
Russia vows to retaliate against state media channels blocked by Telegram
Meanwhile, Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that the restrictions on Russian state media channels imposed by Telegram would be responded to accordingly.
As reported by the Kyiv Independent, access to Russian broadcasters, including RIA Novosti, Izvestia, RT, Rossiyskaya Gazeta, Channel One, Rossiya 1, NTV, and others, has been blocked in European countries, including Poland, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Greece, Italy, and the Czech Republic.
Zakharova called this "a campaign of repression against Russian media".
"Telegram's decision comes amid concerns about the spread of pro-Kremlin propaganda in Europe, where authorities are increasingly scrutinizing Russian disinformation networks. Countries such as Poland and the Czech Republic have launched investigations into Russian influence campaigns, while in Italy pro-Russian sentiment is growing through public service announcement campaigns.
The EU has long restricted Russian state media on the grounds of its role in supporting the Russian invasion of Ukraine. These restrictions are in line with broader sanctions against Kremlin-controlled propaganda media. In response to previous EU bans, Russia has imposed its own limits on European media and is willing to strengthen such measures further.
It is unclear how Russia will retaliate, but officials have hinted at the possibility of symmetric measures, including further media restrictions or action against Telegram.
Telegram becomes a profitable platform for the first time after huge losses
P. Durov reported in December that the messaging platform had become profitable for the first time in 2024, thanks to ad revenues and a premium subscription of USD 4.99. The company has also reduced a large part of its USD 2 billion debt, indicating a strong financial turnaround[2].
Telegram's revenues exceeded USD 1 billion in 2024, and the platform has cash reserves of USD 500 million, excluding cryptocurrency assets. This is a significant improvement compared to 2023 when it reported a loss of $108 million on revenues of $342 million. Durov stressed that Telegram's success shows that social media can remain financially sustainable while at the same time protecting the rights of consumers.
The platform, which has 950 million users, has introduced monetization strategies such as enterprise-level subscriptions and revenue-sharing models for content creators. However, its rapid growth has led to criticism and regulatory scrutiny.
In countries such as Spain, Germany and the UK, Telegram is facing possible bans or sanctions due to concerns about misinformation and limited content moderation.
Telegram updates its security and privacy policy following the arrest of Durov
Following the arrest of the platform's CEO, Durov, last year, a major overhaul was carried out. This was because Durov had been detained in connection with an ongoing investigation into suspected criminal activities, including gang transactions and human trafficking, using an app he had developed.
Although he was released on bail, the investigation has highlighted concerns about the role of Telegram in facilitating criminal behavior, given its popularity amongst illegal groups[3].
In response, Telegram announced that it will now comply with "reasonable legal requests from authorities" and share user data such as IP addresses and phone numbers. These changes will be disclosed in quarterly transparency reports. In addition, the platform has improved its search function to identify and remove illegal content more efficiently, using AI-driven moderation tools.
Nevertheless, Telegram's encrypted private conversations remain untouched, with the platform claiming that it cannot access the content of these conversations.
