Telegram sent this Tuesday an unequivocal message to its French users, firmly defending the principle of encryption in private messaging. This communication comes after the rejection of a controversial amendment to the National Assembly which aimed to impose “stolen doors” in encrypted messaging applications.
In short
- Telegram sent a direct message to French users concerning the protection of privacy.
- The application firmly opposes the installation of “stolen doors” in its encryption system.
- The platform claims to prefer to leave a country rather than compromising the security of its users.
- This position occurs after the adoption of the law against drug trafficking in the National Assembly.
Farm opposition to “stolen doors” in messaging
This Tuesday, April 29, French users of Telegram received a direct message from the platform concerning a recent legislative attempt.
In March 2025, the Senate had adopted an amendment to the law against narcotrafic which would have forced encrypted messaging like Telegram, Whatsapp or Signal to integrate “stolen doors” allowing authorities to access the private conversations of users. The National Assembly finally rejected this measure.
“” The deputies of the National Assembly had the wisdom to reject a law which would have made France the first country in the world to deprive its citizens of their right to private life “, underlines Telegram in his message.
In addition, the company does not hesitate to formulate a acerbic criticism, adding that ” even authoritarian regimes have never prohibited encryption ».
This communication comes as the Paris police prefect, Laurent Nuñez, recently pleaded for access by the authorities to the encrypted messaging, in particular following attacks against prison centers coordinated via Telegram.
The application recalls that in accordance with Digital Services ACT European, it already provides authorities with IP addresses and telephone numbers of suspects by judicial decision.
A question of security for all users
For Telegram, the main argument against these stolen doors is technical:
It is technically impossible to guarantee access via a stolen door only to the police.
The platform maintains that such vulnerability could be exploited by “foreign agents” or “hackers”, thus endangering the confidentiality of messages from all users, including those respecting the law.
The company also claims that this measure would be ineffective against crime.
If the main encrypted messaging became vulnerable, criminals would simply turn to dozens of other applications, smaller and more opaque – while using VPNs to blur the tracks.
This message comes in a tense context between the platform and the French authorities. In August 2024, Pavel Durov was arrested in France as part of an investigation into illicit activities carried out via his platform.
The Franco-Russian founder was finally authorized to leave the territory at the end of March 2025, after the suspension of his judicial control.
Telegram concludes his message by recalling that “ The battle is far from over », In particular quoting a recent proposal from the European Commission aimed at weakening encryption at the continent. For messaging, this question goes beyond the technical framework: ” Every day, our freedoms are put to the test – and every day, we must defend them. »»
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