Student genius and the birth of “Russian Facebook” (the owner of Meta is known as an extremist in Russia and is banned)
Pavel Durov was born in 1984 in Leningrad, in the family of a philologist and teacher. As a child, he became interested in programming and impressed teachers with his abilities. After graduating from the Academic Gymnasium with honors, he entered the Faculty of Philology of St. Petersburg State University, where he proved himself as a talented student and leader, organizing student events and creating Internet projects for the university.
One of these projects was the electronic abstract library website Durov.com, which quickly gained popularity among students. In 2006, inspired by the success of the American social network Facebook, Durov decided to create his own project, VKontakte.
The idea of a convenient website where students could communicate under their real names became incredibly popular. VKontakte is rapidly gaining popularity, becoming the main competitor of Odnoklassniki and attracting millions of users. By 2014, Durov’s fortune was estimated at hundreds of millions of dollars, and he himself became one of the most famous and influential people on the Russian Internet.
Conflicts, scandals and escape: who expelled Durov from Russia and why
Durov’s path to success was not cloudless. His views and clashes with the authorities were made public. Durov threw money out of his office window, criticized the Russian government and refused to block opposition groups on VKontakte.
Tensions between Durov and the authorities culminated in a criminal case being filed against him after he refused to provide the FSB with data on users who participated in protests in Ukraine in 2014. The entrepreneur later sold his stake in VKontakte and left the country, saying he did not want to return until democratic reforms were implemented in Russia.
What is Pavel Durov’s citizenship?
Having left Russia, Durov did not seek asylum in any country. He declared himself a “citizen of the world” and acquired the citizenship of St. Kitts and Nevis, the UAE and France. Durov has repeatedly criticized states that, in his opinion, enslave their citizens through taxes and restrict freedom on the Internet.
He positioned himself as a fighter against “digital slavery” and called on users to protect their privacy and anonymity. The businessman has repeatedly criticized the European Union, in particular, for its policies regarding freedom of expression and anonymity on the internet, its crackdown on Telegram and its efforts to gain access to user data.
Telegram: A new border and criticism from the EU
While in exile, Durov focuses on the development of the messenger Telegram, which he launched in 2013. Telegram is positioned as a secure and confidential communications platform, protected against eavesdropping and hacking.
The idea of a free and secure messenger has attracted hundreds of millions of users worldwide. However, authorities in many countries, including EU members, have expressed concerns about Telegram being used for illegal activities. The European Commission has repeatedly criticized Durov for refusing to cooperate in the fight against terrorism, the spread of extremist material and child pornography.
In 2024, Durov gave a resounding interview to American journalist Tucker Carlson, in which he harshly criticized not only the EU but also the United States’ policies regarding freedom of expression and anonymity on the Internet. He also accused US and EU intelligence agencies of pressuring Telegram and trying to access user data.
“One day at nine in the morning I was having breakfast and the FBI came to the apartment I was renting, and it was quite unexpected. They knew I had left Russia. They knew what we were doing, but they wanted details. I think they wanted to establish connections to somehow control Telegram better. And I thought, we are getting a lot of attention here,” he admitted at the time.
What did Durov want to talk about with Putin in Azerbaijan?
Shortly before his arrest in France, Durov visited Azerbaijan. Rumors that the businessman might be in Baku appeared in early August. At first, they did not inspire much confidence, but soon photos began to circulate on social networks, in which a person resembling Durov was seen in one of the restaurants in the capital of the republic. The purpose of the visit is unknown, but some sources claim that Durov may have met with high-ranking officials of the country, including President Ilham Aliyev.
It was also reported that there could be a possible meeting between Durov and Vladimir Putin, who was in Baku at the time. The sources claimed that Russian authorities had long wanted to extradite Durov to Russia and saw him as a key figure in the development of domestic IT technologies. The meeting in Baku in the neutral zone could have been a chance to discuss Durov’s possible return to his homeland.
Durov himself did not comment on these rumors. Information about their meetings in Azerbaijan was never officially confirmed. The Kremlin stated that no meeting took place.
What is Pavel Durov accused of in France?
Durov’s arrest in France is the culmination of the entrepreneur’s long-term conflict with the authorities. The billionaire was detained as part of a preliminary investigation into inadequate moderation of Telegram. According to NFO TF1, police believe that gaps in content moderation contributed to criminal activity on the messenger. Le Monde adds that the search warrant was also issued by the authority responsible for combating violence against minors. The investigation concerns a variety of crimes: fraud, drug trafficking, cybercrime, organized crime, terrorism, scams.
Although Durov has French citizenship, his criticism of French and EU policies in general and his refusal to cooperate with law enforcement agencies apparently prompted the French authorities to take such radical action.
It is not clear how this story will end, but one thing is certain: Durov’s reputation and the future of Telegram are at risk. The “Russian Zuckerberg” risks repeating the fate of Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, who fell victim to his own principles and the struggle for freedom on the Internet.
What are you thinking?
Source: Gazeta
Jackson Ruhl is a tech and sci-fi expert, who writes for “Social Bites”. He brings his readers the latest news and developments from the world of technology and science fiction.