Telegram, led by Pavel Durov, is a major, fast-growing messaging app with nearly 900 million users. It prioritizes user privacy and avoids government censorship, operating from Dubai.
The following text is a first-person interview with elements of retelling and abbreviations, without losing the main meaning.
Telegram is one of the largest and fastest-growing messaging apps in the world, popular globally, including in the USA. Despite this, information about the company is limited. The headquarters is located in Dubai, and the company is managed by Pavel Durov, who also developed the app. Although Durov rarely gives interviews, he agreed to share about himself and the company.
Pavel, thank you for joining us. I use Telegram but didn’t know much about you and your company. Can you share your story? Where are you from, how did you get started, and why?
I was born in 1984 in the Soviet Union and saw its flaws. At the age of 4, my family moved to Italy, where I compared capitalism and socialism. Soon after, we returned to Russia following the collapse of the Soviet Union. In Russia, my brother and I continued our education, focusing on programming. We brought an IBM computer from Italy and began learning programming, which eventually led to the creation of our company, initially known as the Russian Facebook. Our social network turned out to be significantly more innovative than Facebook.
The company, founded when I was 21, became the largest in Russia and other post-Soviet countries. I wrote code, handled design, and managed technical support myself. In 2011-2012, when the Russian government tried to ban the use of VK for protests, I refused to comply, defending free speech. As a result, in 2013, I had to choose between complying or selling the company and leaving the country. I chose the latter.
Some claim that Telegram is linked to the Russian government, but that is not the case. Our company does not spend money on advertising, and our growth is organic. Unlike other social networks, Telegram has nearly 900 million users without advertising expenses. I sold the company and left because I value freedom more than money. My mission is to allow people to express their freedom.
When the Russian government demanded that I censor political opponents, I refused and chose freedom, even if it meant leaving my company. Unlike other social networks that collaborated with governments for censorship, we have maintained our commitment to free speech. We are launching our Telegram channel to provide unbiased content. Find our channel on Telegram.
The idea for Telegram came from Russia when I realized that existing communication tools were unsafe. My brother created the encryption standard that we still use today.
My brother is an expert in encryption; he developed the core principles of encryption for Telegram. I worked on the user interface and functionality of the app while he focused on security.
After leaving Russia, we considered several countries for establishing the company: Berlin, London, Singapore, San Francisco. However, bureaucratic hurdles proved too complex. In Germany, for instance, there were requirements to publish job ads in local media before hiring people from outside the EU, which seemed absurd.
In San Francisco, we faced two issues. First, I was attacked on the street, which felt like a security threat. Second, I encountered pressure from the FBI, which tried to obtain information about Telegram and create conditions for controlling the platform.
After that, we moved to Dubai 7 years ago. We initially planned to stay for six months, but it turned out to be the perfect place for us. Here, it is easy to do business: we can hire people from around the world, and the tax system is efficient. Additionally, the UAE is a neutral country, making it a suitable location for protecting users’ personal information and free speech.
During our time in Dubai, we have not faced pressure from local authorities, which is a big contrast to what we experienced before. We also receive requests from other countries regarding groups promoting violence or terrorist activities. In such cases, we follow the laws but generally strive to protect free speech and users’ personal data.
We sometimes face requests that cross the boundaries of censorship and surveillance. For example, after the events of January 6 in the USA, we received a request from Democratic congressmembers for user data related to the demonstrations. Our lawyers advised us to ignore the request, but soon we received a similar request from Republicans, claiming that complying with the first request would violate the US Constitution. In the end, we ignored both requests, as we considered it an internal political matter.
Telegram faces significant pressure from Apple and Google, which could remove the app from their stores for non-compliance with their rules. These rules are often interpreted strictly, and we sometimes face disagreements in their interpretation. Nevertheless, we try to maintain dialogue with these companies to explain our positions and protect free speech.
The situation with government demands and platform pressure can change, but we hope it does not worsen. We strive to maintain neutrality and ensure free speech for all users, regardless of their political views. Telegram is often used to organize protests and opposition movements, which may attract government attention, but we adhere to the principle of neutrality and equal treatment of all sides.
We believe it is important to have a platform that remains neutral and is not influenced by geopolitical battles. This sets us apart from other social networks that might tilt the balance in one direction or another. It is crucial to maintain a platform that protects users’ privacy and free speech, especially in the context of global conflicts and pressures from various governments.
A Telegram channel is a broadcasting tool within Telegram. It allows people to quickly disseminate messages: a channel can be used, for example, by a president for one-way communication. Subscribers cannot send messages but can receive them. Channels are so easy to use and integrated into the messaging interface that they have become very popular. We launched this feature 8 years ago, and although other apps have copied it, none have achieved the same level of integration and popularity.
It’s interesting that the question of independence is often discussed. I have asked this question to Elon Musk’s predecessors, Jack Dorsey and Jay Cole. Jack mentioned that a company could be managed effectively with 20 people, and bureaucracy in a public company can be inefficient. A public company’s status provides access to capital, but for some, this is not always necessary. Personally, I enjoy managing the company in its current form, and we are doing an excellent job with nearly 900 million users. I believe we will reach 1 billion active users per month within a year.
How do you attract new users?
We do not spend money on advertising. People like our product and recommend it to others. The good quality and features we introduced first attract users, who then invite their friends.
On security and privacy
Intelligence agencies may be interested in data, but we remain vigilant. I avoid countries where security and privacy could be at risk, such as China, Russia, and the USA. We strive to remain a neutral platform despite the pressure.
The future of privacy
Privacy is becoming harder to maintain due to technological advancements and government interference. I am optimistic and believe that new secure communication devices will be developed. The world evolves cyclically, and despite current trends, new directions may emerge.
Thoughts on Twitter (X)
I am pleased that Elon Musk bought Twitter (X). It brings innovation to the social media industry. X is attempting to do something new, which is not available among the big players who merely copy existing models.
Interaction with other companies
I met with Mark Zuckerberg over 10 years ago when I was managing VKontakte. We discussed issues of free speech and innovation.
Leave a Reply