The founder of Telegram, Pavel Durov, has denied rumors about the app shutting down in Russia. He called the claims false and suggested they may be part of a wider campaign to discredit the platform.
In a message shared on his official Telegram channel, the 40-year-old entrepreneur explained that the rumor started as a joke in a satirical publication, but many serious news outlets quickly picked it up without any humor disclaimer.
“We even had to add a correction note under those Telegram posts to stop the misinformation.”
He also addressed claims that some OSINT channels were blocked for political reasons. Durov clarified that a few were automatically restricted due to sharing personal information, but they were quickly restored. Still, some media used this incident out of context to stir confusion.
Durov went on to criticize poorly researched claims about unsafe Telegram IP addresses. He emphasized that the platform has always protected user privacy and supports free access to information.
“This might not be a case of media mistakes – it may be a targeted attempt to damage Telegram’s reputation.”
The misinformation came from a satirical news outlet called Panorama, which jokingly “announced” that Telegram was leaving Russia. One Telegram channel (We ton) reposted it, sparking chaos. A fact-check label was later added, confirming that Durov had never made such a statement. The channel also noted that Panorama publishes fictional content only.
In another controversy, back in August 2024, Durov was briefly detained by French authorities in Paris over alleged involvement in money laundering, smuggling, and hiding illegal content. His partner, Yulia Vavilova, reportedly lost their child due to the stress. Durov was released on bail of €5 million but refused to hand over user conversations. Although France restricted his travel to the US, he was later allowed a short 14-day trip to Dubai, where he currently lives.
Durov had also previously revealed that he has six official children, and over 100 more through sperm donation, leading to jokes online — even Snoop Dogg chimed in with a laugh.
