In a world increasingly wary of government surveillance, Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, envisions the frontier of privacy through the development of crypto-inspired hardware for secure communication.
Durov suggested this idea in response to unsettling encounters with the US government, highlighting the privacy vulnerabilities in the digital era.
US Government Attempted to Control Telegram: Pavel Durov
Durov, who departed from Russia in 2014 due to governmental interference, has had unnerving experiences in the United States. In a discussion with US journalist Tucker Carlson, Durov claimed that the FBI repeatedly confronted and followed him.
“Whenever I went to the US, I would have two FBI agents at the airport asking questions. One time I was having my breakfast at 9 AM, then the FBI showed up at my house. They were interested to learn more about Telegram, they knew I left Russia, they wanted details. My understanding was that they wanted to establish a relationship in a way that they could control Telegram better,” Durov said.
His concerns intensified when an attempt was made to coerce a Telegram engineer into embedding backdoors in the app. These backdoors would allow undisclosed entities to monitor users’ communications.
“That’s what the Telegram engineer told me. They wanted him to code open-source tools into the app that would serve as backdoors,” Durov explained.
Moreover, the Telegram founder shared that the US is the only place where he has ever been physically attacked. He recounted a disturbing incident in San Francisco, where three individuals tried to seize his phone.
Read more: Unibot: A Comprehensive Guide to the Telegram Bot
How Crypto Technology Can Enhance Privacy
Despite these threats, Durov remains optimistic about the potential for technological solutions that safeguard privacy. He believes developers can draw inspiration from crypto hardware wallets, which allow users complete control over their digital assets.
Similarly, he envisions the creation of secure devices for communicating. These gadgets would enable users to send messages and make calls without fear of interception.
Additionally, this initiative reflects Telegram’s recent strides in integrating crypto into its platform functionalities. Earlier this month, Telegram introduced a new payment feature using the Toncoin blockchain’s native crypto – TON.
This innovation includes a rewarding system for channel owners, allowing them to earn 50% of the revenue from advertisements shown in their channels. With public channels on Telegram amassing over one trillion views monthly, this scheme marks a significant shift in content creator revenue generation.
“Anyone can now promote their bot or channel – with budgets as low as a handful of Toncoins. When creating a Telegram ad, you choose the exact channels where you’d like it to appear, so you have full control over their context,” Telegram explained.
The use of TON for advertising purposes highlights Telegram’s interest in using blockchain technology for enhanced efficiency and user control over ad placements. Amid these developments, Toncoin made it to the top 10 cryptocurrencies based on market capitalization, overthrowing Cardano (ADA).
Read more: Data Privacy: 10 Tips to Protect Your Digital Privacy in 2024
As Telegram nears one billion active monthly users, its influence and utility continue to expand. Its significant role in delivering unfiltered news coverage, especially during the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, has garnered both praise and criticism.
While the platform has been vital for real-time updates, it has also faced scrutiny for potentially spreading misinformation.
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