Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has made a bold declaration against EU leaders, stating that if they were to insist on their proposal on implementing an encryption backdoor on Telegram, the app would push back by "leaving the country."

In message to his followers on the Du Rove's channel on Telegram, the CEO posted a message highlighting the EU's increasing efforts to encroach into its users private data through the use of backdoors.

Backdoors is a method that would allow authorities to bypass encryption and access private user data.

Durov's message comes as French and EU lawmakers are pushing for legislation that would require messaging apps like Telegram to implement backdoors for police access.

Durov reaffirmed Telegram's unwavering commitment to digital privacy, stating

"Telegram would rather exit a market than undermine encryption with backdoors and violate basic human rights. Unlike some of our competitors, we don't trade privacy for market share."

Encryption backdoors introduces new vulnerabilities

Durov emphasized that encryption backdoors are inherently insecure—because it allows not just police, but for hackers and foreign agents to access the user's data as well.

He also warned that creating a backdoor would create a vulnerability that could utilised by bad actors.

“It’s technically impossible to guarantee that only the police can access a backdoor.”

He also noted that criminals would simply migrate to lesser-known, more secure apps or use VPNs, making these regulations ineffective at stopping illicit activity.

Telegram also declared that it has never disclosed a single message to authorities, which it admitted that it has disclosed IP addresses and phone numbers of criminals as requested by regulators in some jurisdictions.

"In its 12-year history, Telegram has never disclosed a single byte of private messages. In accordance with the EU Digital Services Act, if provided with a valid court order, Telegram would only disclose the IP addresses and phone numbers of criminal suspects-not messages."

The privacy war has just begun

Durov also dictates that that privacy war with the EU has just begun, citing the European Commission's "ProtectEU" proposal from early April. The proposal aims to find "technological solutions to enable lawful access to data by law enforcement authorities in 2026.

The proposal has faced some push back by both digital privacy advocates and some European lawmakers, with Finnish MEP Aura Salla suggesting that introducing encryption backdoors contradicts the very values that ProtectEU aims to hold.

Durov implores privacy advocates to continue fighting for freedom, as it continues to come under attack by regulators every day. This comes amid a time when the Telegram CEO is facing investigation by French authorities involving allegations of facilitating a platform that enables illicit transactions.

According to French prosecutors, Durov faces up to 10 years of prison time in addition to $550,000 fine if convicted.