tech
February 5, 2026
Spain hits back at Pavel Durov over mass Telegram post on social media ban plan
Founder’s extraordinary intervention has laid bare rising tensions between European governments and tech firms
TL;DR
- Spain accuses Telegram founder Pavel Durov of spreading lies and attacking its institutions regarding new social media regulations.
- Durov claims proposed Spanish laws threaten internet freedoms, risk mass surveillance, and could lead to over-censorship.
- Spanish government sources state Durov's message aims to erode trust and underscores the need for app regulation.
- Durov was previously arrested in Paris on fraud and organized crime charges, which he denies.
- French prosecutors are investigating alleged cybercrimes related to content on Elon Musk's platform, X.
- Several European governments are adopting or considering stricter social media legislation, with Australia having already banned under-16s from such platforms.
- Some European governments are using social media humorously and aggressively to counter interference from tech billionaires.
- Spain and France are also pushing to reduce reliance on non-European digital services for public communications and civil service use.
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