Pavel Durov, the CEO of Telegram, has warned that banning social media for teenagers doesn’t protect them but exposes them to greater danger.
Durov was responding to the United Kingdom government’s new
law restricting teenagers under 16 years from accessing social media apps.
Writing on his X page, the Telegram CEO argued that
prohibition wouldn’t shield adolescents but would drive them toward encrypted
tunnels and unregulated online spaces where real harm thrives.
“Banning social media for teenagers only puts them in
greater danger,” he wrote.
“Teens are forced to switch to VPNs — and unlock far worse
illegal content.”
Drawing from Russia’s “failed” attempt to ban Telegram,
Durov noted that restrictions rarely work as intended.
The Telegram CEO also pushed back against mandatory
age-verification measures, such as ID scans or bank cards, questioning whether
the real motive is protection or surveillance.
“We’ve seen this before. When the Russian government banned
Telegram, 95% of Russian teenagers kept using it. They just moved to VPNs,” he
wrote.
“No law can replace good parenting. Parents already have the
tools to limit kids’ digital consumption: parental controls, screen-time limits, or no smartphone at all.
“Instead, many parents give toddlers iPads just to keep them
quiet. No amount of regulation will fix that.
“All social media users in the UK will have to 'prove'
they’re over 16 — with an ID, face scan or bank card.
“Thousands in the UK are already arrested for political
posts every year.
“Is this really about protecting children — or identifying more people to arrest?”
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