Telegram‘s founder Pavel Durov pointed out the decreasing tolerance of governments towards privacy. He mentioned that this situation would trigger innovations around hardware devices that provide secure communication. Durov summarized the issue by recalling past experiences while explaining how state institutions continue to suppress private information exchange. Let’s look into the details.
Governments’ Decreasing Tolerance Towards Privacy
Pavel Durov emphasizes that the world is becoming less tolerant, highlighting governments’ decreasing tolerance towards privacy. According to him, this clearly emerges as a trend because they possess more technological power.
However, Durov believes that increased surveillance will force innovations around hardware devices dedicated to secure communication, similar to “our hardware wallets for storing your cryptocurrency.”
Durov’s Pointed Country: United Arab Emirates
Durov mentioned that the geopolitical neutrality of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) provides a suitable environment for entrepreneurs fighting against privacy and surveillance. He emphasized that the UAE aims to be friendly with everyone and is not aligned with major superpowers. He argued that this situation provides an ideal environment for a platform that defends user privacy and freedom of expression.
Durov noted that the company avoids venture capital investments to protect its operations from external influences. Additionally, they hold significant amounts in fiat currency and Bitcoin. This approach aims to maintain the company’s independence and ensure the security of its users.
Snowden’s Warning and Government Surveillance
Sharing Durov’s concerns, Edward Snowden warned about the potential expansion of the U.S. National Security Agency’s (NSA) surveillance powers. Snowden’s warning has heightened concerns that the government could make potential changes exceeding the current scope of surveillance. This situation raises fears that internet service providers and individuals might be compelled to assist NSA surveillance.
The warnings from Pavel Durov and Edward Snowden show that threats to privacy and freedom are increasing, and individuals and companies need to be more cautious. At this point, as technology advances, the importance of secure communication tools is growing. Let’s see how legal responses to privacy-focused approaches will evolve in the coming days.
