Russia demanded to publish the data of Ukrainians who staged a "Dignity Revolution" - Durov

In 2013, residents of Ukraine used the social network "VKontakte" to negotiate and organize protests on the streets of Kiev, and the Russian authorities did not like it, Pavel Durov said. Tucker Carlson, ex-presenter of Fox, interviewed Pavel Durov-the founder of the social network "VKontakte" and the messenger "Telegrams". He has posted a conversation with a Russian businessman who is currently conducting a business with the UAE on his YouTube channel.

One of the important topics that Carlson touched was Pavel Durov's conflict with the Russian authorities, which in fact selected him a business - VKontakte social network. The developer said that he did not want to cooperate with special services and go on a leash with the state, when he was required to remove groups created by Russian opposition in 2011-2012.

In those days, large rallies took place in the Russian Federation, protesters stated that elections to the State Duma and the presidential elections were accompanied by violations of federal legislation and mass falsifications. According to Pavel Durov, the social network never stood on someone's direction, but defended the right to freedom of assembly and self -expression.

A year later, he stated, the Government of the Russian Federation demanded from VKontakte the provision of personal data of Ukrainians, who, according to Russian special services, organized protests in Kiev at the end of 2013. Then people used a social network to negotiate and gather on the streets of the capital. Pavel Durov stated in an interview with Carlson that the social networking team did not provide any information so as not to betray users from Ukraine - residents of another country.

After another refusal to cooperate with the Kremlin, Durov put strong pressure and put before a choice - to sell a share in the company, to leave the post of CEO and leave with the Russian Federation, or to cooperate. He decided to choose the first option because he adhered to values ​​such as freedom of speech, the free market, freedom of assembly. Telegram, as Durov said before, was invented after Russian special services conducted searches in his apartment.

He wanted to contact his brother, Nicholas Durov, but realized that there was no safe way to do so. Subsequently, it was Mykola Durov who developed a messenger, where all the data were protected by cross -encryption, and Paul was responsible for his design and functionality. Now "telegrams" became the free platform that was previously "VKontakte", he assures. Durov noted that Telegram is used to organize rallies and protests, for example, in Belarus, Kazakhstan, Hong Kong.

The messenger is neutral to both power and opposition groups. And, according to Paul, it is very important that people have access to a platform where anyone can speak. Personally, he believes that such an approach, when there is competition of ideas, can lead to progress and a better world for all. However, Tucker Carlson noted that today many accuse telegrams of collaboration with the FSB, to which Durov replied that in this way competitors were trying to discredit the messenger.

In his view, the spread of the application is similar to a fire. He also argued that competing companies have to spend tens of billions of dollars on advertising and marketing. Recall that Pavel Durov wrote in his Telegram-channel that he considers it necessary to communicate with a variety of journalists, both with liberals and with conservatives. It was for this reason that he spoke with Financial Times, and later with such as Carlson.

Earlier, we wrote that the exjuralist and TV presenter Fox News Taver Carlson visited Moscow in early 2024 and interviewed Russian President Vladimir Putin. After meeting with Putin Carlson, he noted that the President of the Russian Federation is radiating anger and does not understand why the United States does not like Russia and do not want to build a friendly relationship with her.