Durov slams EU: Mandatory identity verification apps are riddled with vulnerabilities and are a prelude to "surveillance tools".

On April 17, CoinFeed reported that Telegram founder Pavel Durov questioned the design of the EU's newly launched "age verification app" on his personal channel, suggesting a possible conspiracy. Durov claimed the app was hacked just two minutes after its release, pointing out that this initial vulnerability was likely a deliberate arrangement by EU bureaucrats: first, a supposedly "privacy-friendly" but fragile tool was launched; after being hacked, the privacy protections were conveniently removed under the pretext of "strengthening security," ultimately transforming it into a means of surveillance targeting all social media users across Europe. Durov warned users to remain highly vigilant, arguing that the current "accidental breach" is merely an excuse for the EU to shift from privacy protection to comprehensive scrutiny. Durov warned that such measures could evolve into surveillance tools targeting all users.