Pavel Durov has joined Elon Musk in condemning Spain’s Socialist slide into safetyism.
The Telegram founder and CEO said planned under-16 social media bans were tyrannical.
Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez – who pleaded in January for the EU to raise a standing army to protect Greenland from a mythical US invasion – now seemingly wants to control social media companies.
Sanchez has allied Spain with a “Coalition of the Digital Willing,” which features “five other European countries,” the ABC recounted.
Citing the dangers of kids being exposed to inappropriate content, the Spanish PM said, his government “would protect kids from the digital Wild West.”
As is the trend, the plans for a social media ban include parallel bills to police “hate speech, algorithm manipulation and ‘illegal’ content.”
Responding, Musk slammed Sánchez as a dirty tyrant, then accused him of betraying the people of Spain.
Durov posted his thoughts not long after, saying the ban “could turn Spain into a surveillance state under the guise of ‘protection.’”
In the lengthy Telegram post shared to X, Durov argued that the socialist government’s “new regulations were dangerous, because they threatened internet freedoms.”
Naming the “red flags”, he said, the laws will be used to target “free speech and privacy.”
Durov’s four major areas of concern included:
- Age verification.
- Who gets to decide what defines “harmful” content and “amplification”
- Governments controlling the narrative.
- Forcing platforms to prove they’re toeing the government line.
Unpacking these, he said,
“What starts with minors could expand to all, stifling open discourse.”
For instance, “bans on social media for under-16s with mandatory age verification are not just about kids,” Durov said, “it requires platforms to use strict checks, like needing IDs or biometrics.”
Spain’s government will be able to “track EVERY user’s identity, eroding anonymity and opening doors to mass data collection.”
“As for minors,” he said, “they will end up less protected.”
They will “simply switch to fringe, unregulated platforms and VPNs.”
Defying the government’s plan to jail “social media executives face if ‘illegal, hateful, or harmful’ content is not removed fast enough,” Durov warned that this will force over-censorship.”
“Platforms will delete anything remotely controversial to avoid risks,” he predicted.
A very real consequence is the “silencing of political dissent, journalism, and everyday opinions. Individual voices could be next if it challenges the status quo.”
Answering the issue of “amplifying” whatever the Spanish government (and its digital EU posse) rules as “hate, harmful or unhelpful,” Durov said, “Governments will dictate what you see, burying opposing views and creating echo chambers controlled by the state.”
In this scenario, he explained, the “free exploration of ideas is replaced by curated propaganda.”
Definitions like context are critical, Durov implied.
“Vague definitions of ‘hate’ could label criticism of the government as divisive, leading to shutdowns or fines.”
“This can be a tool for suppressing opposition.”
Backing Musk, Durov concluded that “these are not safeguards.”
“They’re steps to total control.”
Leaning on COVID’s “two weeks to flatten the curve” turning into totalitarianism, he remarked,
“We’ve seen this playbook before: governments weaponising safety” to censor critics.”
Pedro Sánchez’s safetyism appears to go against everything Telegram is about, Durov added.
“We prioritise your privacy and freedom: strong encryption, no backdoors, and resistance to overreach.”
He concluded by encouraging Spaniards to “stay vigilant, demand transparency and fight for their rights.”
