Telegram CEO speaks out

Pavel Durov, founder and CEO of Telegram, is currently facing legal troubles in France. However, he insists that these accusations are baseless and that they are the inevitable consequence of Telegram's steadfast commitment to protecting privacy and freedom of expression, core values that it has always pursued.

Telegram, which is used by more than a billion people worldwide, was founded with a mission to be a safe, independent space free from outside influences. Since its inception, Telegram has consistently turned down acquisition offers, most notably a $1 billion offer from Google in 2017, Durov said.

“Telegram is not a commodity for sale. It is a promise of freedom,” Durov asserted.

Self-proclaimed "freedom messenger"

One of the key factors that helps Telegram maintain its neutrality is its unique governance structure, where Durov is currently the sole shareholder of the company, without sharing control with any outside investors. He learned the hard way from his experience losing control of VKontakte, Russia’s largest social network, that only absolute independence can guarantee freedom from domination.

Telegram stands out for its strict privacy policy. Durov claims that the platform cannot and has not read users' private messages. Messages are end-to-end encrypted, and even with a court order, the messaging app only provides basic metadata such as IP addresses and phone numbers.

Pavel Durov believes in Telegram's mission. Photo: Bloomberg .

“We have never leaked a single private message in our entire history. Telegram does not take sides. This is a prerequisite for protecting access and providing fairness to users,” said the Telegram CEO.

Durov also expressed concerns about legal mechanisms such as a US ban, as well as not allowing governments to install tracking tools in the source code. Telegram's founder affirmed that the company will not become a "spy" for regulators, while denying any rumors that the messaging app has servers in Russia.

Telegram will not "sell itself"

Durov said that behind Telegram is a unique technological and operational strategy. Not pursuing profits, Telegram is maintained with the CEO's personal finances, mainly from the sale of VKontakte shares and early investments in cryptocurrencies.

“I don’t get a salary from Telegram and have never received dividends. This is a source of expenses, not revenue,” Durov shared.

Despite not taking a salary, Durov never faltered even when Telegram had to return $2 billion in funding after the company's blockchain project was blocked by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Durov keeps Telegram running with his own money. Photo: Bloomberg .

Telegram currently operates with a core team of about 50 people in Dubai, along with more than 1,000 global contributors, mostly content moderators. This lean strategy allows the company to be nimble and agile in its technical and operational coordination without spiraling into uncontrolled expansion.

Durov also believes that artificial intelligence (AI) will play a key role in keeping Telegram a safe and efficient platform. Currently, AI is being used to automatically detect and remove up to 99% of infringing content, a huge amount of work that humans cannot handle manually.

“I want Telegram to continue to exist for a long time, without being controlled, always faithful to the philosophy of freedom and privacy,” Durov said.

Choose your own path

With Telegram, Durov said he was not building a messaging tool but a communications ecosystem where users are not monitored by algorithms. With most major messaging platforms using the same encryption technology, the Telegram CEO questioned the lack of diversity and systemic risk in the industry.

“Why are all the major messaging services using the same technology? It seems like other technology options are being blocked,” Durov said.

Durov wants Telegram to take a different approach than its competitors. Photo: Bloomberg .

Telegram has gone its own way, developing its own infrastructure, designing its own encryption system, and retaining full control. The platform regularly meets with industry leaders like the head of Signal to discuss technology. But Durov says he remains neutral and has no affiliation with any interest groups.

Durov is not overly optimistic about the generative AI wave. According to him, current language models simply reuse data and cannot think like humans. “We are fooled by complex language, but these models are not really intelligent,” Durov added.

For now, by keeping its staff small, Telegram has avoided the pitfalls that plague large tech companies. The Russian CEO emphasizes that his mission is to create a platform that gives users freedom of expression, where they control how they access information.

Source: https://znews.vn/ceo-telegram-len-tieng-post1562394.html