Durov slams EU for pushing false moderation narrative to justify surveillance overreach

Telegram founder Pavel Durov accused the European Union of trying to justify its attempt to increase surveillance on instant messaging through a false narrative.

The tech entrepreneur reacted to French media reports covering new allegations of insufficient content moderation on the popular messenger that has been under pressure.

Telegram targeted over nude pics traded in channels

A campaign group called AI Forensics has claimed it found nearly 25,000 users sharing images of naked women in Spanish and Italian groups on Telegram.

The authors of the study, carried out between December 2025 and February 2026, tracked 80,000 files published in 16 Telegram channels over a period of six weeks.

The bulk of them were photos, and the rest were mainly videos, including real images and deepfakes, the state-owned TV network France 24 reported Wednesday, quoting Agence France-Presse (AFP).

Researchers at AI Forensics told the French news agency that the files were mostly of a sexually explicit nature. Some allegedly contained images of teenage girls.

They elaborated:

The report criticizes Telegram for failing to put an end to such groups, allowing the trading of intimate images of women without their consent, and urges the messenger to prevent the practice.

“During the observation period, several groups were shut down by Telegram only to reopen under the same names just a few hours later,” the activists noted, accusing the messaging service of insufficient mechanisms for moderation.

They also alleged that Telegram’s privacy features and mass distribution capabilities were “shaping the conditions under which abusive behavior can develop,” including doxing and harassment campaigns.

AI Forensics has called on the EU to label Telegram a “very large online platform” (VLOP). The move would subject it to stricter oversight under the Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA).

Durov blames Brussels for boosting surveillance

In a statement for AFP, Telegram stressed that “sharing non-consensual intimate images, including pornographic deepfakes, is strictly forbidden by Telegram’s terms of use.”

The company also insisted its “moderation systems are more effective to prevent mass distribution of harmful content than those of the currently designated VLOPs.”

Posting his reaction to the latest attack on the messenger, Pavel Durov accused the EU of trying to “justify its push for more surveillance (Chat Control) and censorship (DSA) via controlled NGOs and media.”

“AI Forensics, a Soros-funded contractor to the European Commission, is telling us that Telegram is a PROBLEM because people can discuss content from OTHER social media in PRIVATE Telegram groups,” he wrote Thursday, adding:

The tech entrepreneur expressed his doubts that “anyone still takes these organizations seriously” as most of them have already lost trust during the Covid years.

At the same time, he emphasized it’s important to expose these kinds of attempts to manipulate the public, “because they are used to take away what’s left of our freedoms.”

Durov, who is also Telegram’s chief executive, was arrested in France in 2024, with authorities accusing him of complicity in criminal activity by managing an app that allowed the sharing of illegal content, including pornography, and illicit transactions.

The 41-year-old dual French-Emirati citizen, who has repeatedly denied the French allegations, was later released and eventually permitted to travel to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, where he resides and Telegram is headquartered.

Durov and Telegram have been facing pressure outside France and Europe, too. His native Russia has been trying to block the messenger since early February.

The app is the preferred communication channel for the crypto community and other segments of society in the country and around the world. Durov recently urged for resistance.

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