{"id":89791,"date":"2025-10-10T12:48:55","date_gmt":"2025-10-10T09:48:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/?p=89791"},"modified":"2025-10-10T12:54:07","modified_gmt":"2025-10-10T09:54:07","slug":"pavel-durov-warns-of-the-imminent-demise-of-the-free-internet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/pavel-durov-warns-of-the-imminent-demise-of-the-free-internet\/","title":{"rendered":"Pavel Durov warns of the \u2018imminent demise\u2019 of the free internet"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>We are approaching a \u201cdark, dystopian world\u201d in which governments are steadily stripping users of privacy, Telegram\u2019s founder Pavel Durov said.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">I\u2019m turning 41, but I don\u2019t feel like celebrating.<\/p>\n<p>Our generation is running out of time to save the free Internet built for us by our fathers.<\/p>\n<p>What was once the promise of the free exchange of information is being turned into the ultimate tool of control.<\/p>\n<p>Once-free countries\u2026<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Pavel Durov (@durov) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/durov\/status\/1976420399970701543?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">October 9, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><em>\u201cI turned 41, but I don\u2019t feel like celebrating. Our generation is running out of time to save the free internet built for us by our fathers,\u201d he wrote.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>According to Durov, \u201conce-free countries\u201d have lately been introducing increasingly \u201cdark\u201d measures.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Digital IDs in the UK\u00a0<\/h2>\n<p>As an example, the Telegram founder cited the <a href=\"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/news\/uk-plans-to-introduce-digital-identity-system\">introduction<\/a> of a national digital-identity system in the UK.<\/p>\n<p>Officials say this will help combat illegal employment and simplify access to key public services. Citizens have objected to the so-called BritCards, likening the idea to plots from George Orwell\u2019s books.<\/p>\n<p>Immediately after the announcement, a petition appeared on the government\u2019s website; at the time of writing it had more than 2.8 million signatures.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"707\" src=\"https:\/\/forklog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/img-a84951dcb3b313ab-6482288042024196-1024x707.png\" alt=\"image\" class=\"wp-image-267302\" srcset=\"https:\/\/forklog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/img-a84951dcb3b313ab-6482288042024196-1024x707.png 1024w, https:\/\/forklog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/img-a84951dcb3b313ab-6482288042024196-300x207.png 300w, https:\/\/forklog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/img-a84951dcb3b313ab-6482288042024196-768x530.png 768w, https:\/\/forklog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/img-a84951dcb3b313ab-6482288042024196.png 1374w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Petition against the introduction of digital IDs in the UK. Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/petition.parliament.uk\/petitions\/730194\">petition.parliament.uk<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Age verification in Australia\u00a0<\/h2>\n<p>Durov also mentioned Australia, where from December 2025 authorities <a href=\"https:\/\/www.infrastructure.gov.au\/media-communications\/internet\/online-safety\/social-media-minimum-age\">will begin<\/a> rolling out an age-verification regime. It will cover nearly all digital services \u2014 from search engines and social networks to app stores and AI assistants.<\/p>\n<p>The authorities plan a multi-pronged approach that includes:\u00a0<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>analysis of account histories;<\/li>\n<li>face-based age estimation;<\/li>\n<li>verification via bank cards<\/li>\n<li>checks of driver\u2019s licences and other documents.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>All users, whether or not they have registered accounts, will have to verify. For those under 18, a safe-search mode will be enabled automatically, filtering inappropriate content.<\/p>\n<p>As <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/technology\/2025\/jul\/20\/face-age-and-id-checks-using-the-internet-in-australia-is-about-to-fundamentally-change\">The Guardian<\/a> notes, supporters of the initiative, including children\u2019s rights groups, point to a recent case involving <a href=\"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/news\/exploiting-grok-chatbot-used-to-spread-scam-links\">Grok<\/a> by Elon Musk. The app contains a pornographic chat, yet in the Apple Store it still carries a \u201c12+\u201d rating.<\/p>\n<p>Amid the risk of restrictions and a <a href=\"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/news\/openai-to-enhance-chatgpts-safety-following-teen-tragedy\">tragic incident<\/a> involving a teenager, OpenAI has already <a href=\"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/news\/openai-introduces-teen-friendly-chatgpt-with-parental-controls\">launched<\/a> a separate version of ChatGPT with parental controls for users under 18.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Experts have called the new rules \u201ca monstrous and excessive reaction\u201d. Ordinary users are unhappy too.\u00a0<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><em>\u201cThis has nothing whatsoever to do with protecting children. Behind it is Rupert Murdoch and his henchmen, who are trying to regain control of the Australian media through censorship \u2014 all under the cover of \u2018bipartisan consensus\u2019. They have finally lost their levers of influence and are now desperate to impose total control over Australians\u2019 information diet,\u201d \u2014 <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/australia\/comments\/1m8azbm\/age_verification_is_coming_to_search_engines_in\/\"><em>shared<\/em><\/a><em> one Reddit user.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The EU\u2019s \u201cChat Control\u201d bill<\/h2>\n<p>The European Union is currently weighing a contentious \u201cChat Control\u201d bill. It would introduce a system to scan private communications using AI algorithms, ostensibly to detect child sexual-abuse material.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The measure would apply to services with end-to-end encryption such as Telegram, WhatsApp and Signal. It could also mandate age verification across all digital platforms.\u00a0<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><em>\u201cWhat was once the promise of the free exchange of information is being turned into the ultimate tool of control. [\u2026] Our generation risks going down in history as the last to have freedoms \u2014 and the one that allowed them to be taken away,\u201d said Durov.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Users, including Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin, have <a href=\"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/news\/vitalik-buterin-criticizes-eus-chat-control-legislation\">criticised<\/a> the bill and launched a campaign called <a href=\"https:\/\/fightchatcontrol.eu\/\">Fight Chat Control<\/a>. According to the organisation\u2019s website, 12 countries support the initiative and nine oppose it.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>On October 9, Germany <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/bmjv_bund\/status\/1975846115263312139\">rejected<\/a> the bill. However, as Signal president Meredith Whittaker noted, \u201cthe fight isn\u2019t over.\u201d The matter now goes to the European Council.\u00a0<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">We&#8217;re so relieved to see Germany reaffirm its opposition to the dangerous Chat Control proposal\u2014the one that would mandate mass scanning of communications. Germany&#8217;s long been a solid champion of privacy, and the news that it was considering backing mass surveillance was\u2026<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Meredith Whittaker (@mer__edith) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/mer__edith\/status\/1976253900333236445?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">October 9, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>In April, Buterin <a href=\"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/news\/vitalik-buterin-declares-privacy-the-foundation-of-freedom\">called<\/a> privacy a foundation of personal freedom and decentralisation that protects society.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We are approaching a \u201cdark, dystopian world\u201d in which governments are stripping users of privacy, Pavel Durov said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":89792,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"select":"1","news_style_id":"1","cryptorium_level":"","_short_excerpt_text":"\u201cOnce-free countries\u201d are imposing ever \u201cdarker\u201d measures, he said.","creation_source":"","_metatest_mainpost_news_update":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[108,733,1423,1256,810],"class_list":["post-89791","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-and-analysis","tag-australia","tag-europe","tag-pavel-durov","tag-privacy-and-personal-data","tag-united-kingdom"],"aioseo_notices":[],"amp_enabled":true,"views":"1811","promo_type":"1","layout_type":"1","short_excerpt":"\u201cOnce-free countries\u201d are imposing ever \u201cdarker\u201d measures, he said.","is_update":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89791","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=89791"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89791\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":89793,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89791\/revisions\/89793"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/89792"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=89791"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=89791"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=89791"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}