Telegram CEO Pavel Durov marked his 41st birthday not with a celebration, but with a stark warning about the future of the internet.
In a post shared with his millions of followers, Durov expressed deep concern that the free and open digital world once envisioned by early pioneers is slipping out of reach, replaced by expanding government control and surveillance.
He described a growing trend among democratic nations to impose what he called dystopian policies. Digital IDs are being pushed in the UK. Australia is enforcing online age ID verification systems.
Across the European Union, lawmakers are backing proposals that would allow the mass scanning of private messages.
Durov highlighted what he sees as escalating repression against individuals for online speech.
He said Germany is targeting users who criticize government officials, the UK is jailing people over social media activity, and France is investigating tech leaders who stand up for privacy and freedom of expression.
According to Durov, these developments mark a sharp departure from the values that defined the early internet.
He warned that without action, this generation may be remembered as the last to experience real digital freedom and as the one that allowed it to disappear.
He also challenged the narrative that progress requires dismantling the legacy left by previous generations.
Privacy, freedom of speech, and the right to dissent, he argued, are not relics to be discarded but essential foundations for any free society. Abandoning those values, Durov said, is sending civilization down a destructive path across every dimension, including morality, intellect, and economic stability.
Ending on a somber note, Durov made clear he felt no joy on his birthday. “I’m running out of time. WE are running out of time,” he wrote, urging people to recognize the urgency of defending digital rights before they are gone for good.
