The US government sought a backdoor into Telegram to potentially spy on its users, as the messaging app's founder reported.
Pavel Durov, who founded Telegram in 2013 and currently serves as its CEO, made this claim during an interview with Tucker Carlson that aired on Tuesday night.
Telegram's CEO, Parel Durov
Russian-born Durov initially gained fame as a co-founder of VKontakte (VK), often dubbed the Russian equivalent of Facebook. He told Carlson that he resigned from VK and left Russia after facing pressure from the Kremlin to disclose personal data of Ukrainian pro-democracy protesters in 2013.
Durov denied any connections between Telegram, widely used in Russia and by pro-Kremlin military bloggers, and the Russian government led by President Vladimir Putin. However, he also admitted to feeling pressured by the US government in the past.
US Government Trying to Gain Telegram Access
During his last visit to America, Durov brought along an engineer working for Telegram, which the cybersecurity officers secretly attempted to hire without his knowledge. Durov explained that they tried to persuade the engineer to use specific open-source tools that would be integrated into the Telegram code, potentially serving as backdoors, a method to bypass authorization and access protected data.
When asked if a backdoor on the messaging app would let the US government spy on Telegram users, Durov agreed, saying a backdoor is a backdoor regardless of who is using it.
Carlson found Durov's accusation "surprising and offensive," but Durov affirmed, stating there was no reason for his engineer to fabricate the stories. The CEO mentioned he trusted his engineer because he had encountered pressure similar to his own when visiting the US.
Durov recounted how he encountered two FBI agents questioning him upon his arrival at the airport and when the FBI unexpectedly visited the house he was renting while he was having breakfast at 9 a.m. This experience surprised him, leading him to believe they were receiving excessive attention.
Being Questioned Not for Crime But for Collaboration
Carlson inquired if the agents visited Durov because they suspected him of committing a crime. Still, Durov clarified that they were interested in learning more about Telegram after learning of his departure from Russia. Knowing the nature of the platform, the US government likely aimed to establish a relationship. While Durov understood they were carrying out their duties, they preferred concentrating on their work rather than government relations.
The tech executive also asserted that he received letters from two members of Congress following the January 6, 2021, riots in the US Capitol. One letter was from a Democrat, who requested data from Telegram users purportedly involved in the riots. The other letter came from a Republican, advising against providing any data linked to the uprising. Both letters cautioned Durov that he would breach the US Constitution if he failed to comply with their demands. However, Durov informed Carlson that Telegram's approach was to "ignore them" because the issue was complex and tied to internal US politics.
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