Telegram Founder Envisions Crypto-Inspired Devices For Private Communication

In a world increasingly wary of government surveillance, Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, envisions the frontier of privacy through the development of crypto-inspired hardware for secure communication.

Durov suggested this idea in response to unsettling encounters with the US government, highlighting the privacy vulnerabilities in the digital era.

US Government Attempted to Control Telegram: Pavel Durov

Durov, who departed from Russia in 2014 due to governmental interference, has had unnerving experiences in the United States. In a discussion with US journalist Tucker Carlson, Durov claimed that the FBI repeatedly confronted and followed him.

“Whenever I went to the US, I would have two FBI agents at the airport asking questions. One time I was having my breakfast at 9 AM, then the FBI showed up at my house. They were interested to learn more about Telegram, they knew I left Russia, they wanted details. My understanding was that they wanted to establish a relationship in a way that they could control Telegram better,” Durov said.

His concerns intensified when an attempt was made to coerce a Telegram engineer into embedding backdoors in the app. These backdoors would allow undisclosed entities to monitor users’ communications.

“That’s what the Telegram engineer told me. They wanted him to code open-source tools into the app that would serve as backdoors,” Durov explained.

Moreover, the Telegram founder shared that the US is the only place where he has ever been physically attacked. He recounted a disturbing incident in San Francisco, where three individuals tried to seize his phone.

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