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Pavel Durov Warns Against Spain’s New Digital Laws: "A Leap Toward Total Surveillance"

Editorial staff
05 February 2026, 15:56
Pavel Durov Warns Against Spain’s New Digital Laws: "A Leap Toward Total Surveillance" Photo Author: Flag-Gimn.ru

Telegram founder Pavel Durov has issued a sharp warning regarding the Spanish government's latest initiatives to regulate social media, identifying four "red flags" pushed by Pedro Sánchez's cabinet. According to the billionaire, the ban on social media for those under 16, combined with mandatory age verification, will effectively strip citizens of their privacy and allow the government to monitor every Spaniard individually. Furthermore, holding platform executives personally and criminally liable for "illegal" content - along with the strict monitoring of algorithms - will likely lead to excessive censorship, forcing platforms to suppress alternative viewpoints and political opposition.

Durov particularly criticized the requirement for platforms to report on how they "fuel social division." He argues that the vague wording of this law provides authorities with a powerful tool to pressure inconvenient media outlets.

"These are not safety measures - they are steps toward total state control. Stay vigilant, Spain," the entrepreneur stated, expressing conviction that these reforms will undermine fundamental democratic freedoms.

#Pavel Durov #Spain #Telegram #Social media regulation #Pedro Sánchez #Digital privacy #Mass surveillance #Government overreach #Censorship #Free speech #Age verification #Platform liability #Algorithm transparency #European politics #Democratic freedoms #Digital rights #Cybersecurity laws #Public division reporting

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