Telegram founder Durov slams Macron, EU rules as creating "digital gulag"

Telegram founder Pavel Durov has accused French President Emmanuel Macron of attempting to transform the European Union into a repressive "digital gulag," using new online regulations to silence political critics. The explosive accusation, made on social media, inserts the prominent tech executive into a rapidly escalating diplomatic conflict between the United States and Europe over the future of internet governance and freedom of speech.

The Spark: U.S. Sanctions on European Regulators

Durov's comments were a direct response to a significant U.S. policy move. On Tuesday, the Trump administration imposed visa bans on five European citizens, including former EU Commissioner Thierry Breton. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused them of leading organized efforts to coerce American platforms to censor viewpoints they oppose. Breton is widely recognized as the architect of the EU's landmark Digital Services Act (DSA), a law designed to compel major tech platforms to police illegal content like hate speech and disinformation more aggressively. Durov framed Breton as a "close ally and appointee of Macron," directly linking the French president to the regulatory framework the U.S. opposes.

A Clash of Visions: Sovereignty vs. Censorship

The incident has ignited a fierce war of words across the Atlantic. European leaders have uniformly condemned the U.S. visa bans as an attack on their sovereignty. President Macron stated the measures amount to intimidation and coercion aimed at undermining European digital sovereignty, asserting that EU rules are democratically decided within Europe. Thierry Breton himself compared the U.S. action to a witch hunt, insisting that censorship isn't where you think it is. Conversely, the U.S. administration views the DSA and related proposals like "Chat Control"—which could mandate scanning of private messages—as forms of extraterritorial censorship that threaten American free speech values.

Durov's Stance and the Broader Tech Battle

Pavel Durov, a longtime advocate for privacy and free speech who left France earlier this year amid a legal investigation, positioned himself firmly against the European regulatory approach. He argued that Macron, "facing ultralow approval ratings," is using censorship and surveillance to silence online critics. This transatlantic rift is more than a diplomatic spat; it represents a fundamental clash between the European model of a regulated digital "single market" and the American principle of largely unfettered speech. The outcome will shape not only what users see online but also the balance of power between governments and the world's largest technology companies.