Telegram founder Pavel Durov criticized blockages and restrictions in the Russian internet. In his opinion, such measures do not bring the country closer to digital sovereignty, but rather hinder its achievement, as specialists capable of creating their own technological platforms leave the country.
Blockages have only pushed Russia further away from "digital sovereignty." Specialists who could create a smartphone operating system in Russia are massively leaving the country due to a broken internet.
According to Durov, without its own mobile operating system, the country remains dependent on the iOS and Android infrastructure. He argues that in such a situation, any applications – both foreign and national – can remain vulnerable.
Without such a system, all applications on smartphones – "national" or "foreign" – remain vulnerable to targeted surveillance and censorship by the US through backdoors and the iOS and Android app stores.
At the same time, Russia already has its own mobile platforms and devices that are being developed as an alternative to foreign solutions. These include "Aurora", "ROSA Mobile", KasperskyOS for Mobile, and the "R-Fon" smartphone. These projects are focused on secure mobile infrastructure, corporate and government segments, and reducing dependence on foreign ecosystems.
Durov separately criticized the idea of simply replacing foreign applications with domestic ones while maintaining dependence on American mobile OS. According to him, this approach does not solve the fundamental problem of digital independence.
Replacing "foreign" applications with "national" ones while retaining American OS is a change of packaging without changing the essence.
The statement comes amid new VPN restrictions and problems with access to Telegram proxies. Earlier it was also reported that Telegram in Russia started working again through proxies in an unofficial PC version.