🇪🇸 Message from
@durov
to Telegram users in Spain ❗
Pedro Sánchez's government is pushing dangerous new regulations that threaten your internet freedoms. Announced just yesterday, these measures could turn Spain into a surveillance state under the guise of "protection." Here's why they are a red flag for free speech and privacy:
1. Ban on social media for minors under 16 with mandatory age verification: This isn't just about children; it requires platforms to use strict controls, such as requiring ID or biometric data.
⚠️ Danger: It sets a precedent for tracking the identity of EVERY user, eroding anonymity and opening the door to mass data collection. What starts with minors could expand to everyone, stifling open discourse.
2. Personal and criminal liability for platform executives: If "illegal, hateful, or harmful" content is not removed quickly enough, bosses face jail time.
⚠️ Danger: This will force excessive censorship; platforms will remove anything remotely controversial to avoid risk, silencing political dissent, journalism, and everyday opinions. Your voice could be next if it challenges the status quo.
3. Criminalizing algorithm amplification: Amplifying "harmful" content through algorithms will become a crime.
⚠️ Danger: Governments will dictate what you see, burying opposing views and creating state-controlled echo chambers. Free exploration of ideas? Gone, replaced by curated propaganda.
4. Tracking the "hate and polarization footprint": Platforms must monitor and report how they "fuel division."
⚠️ Danger: Vague definitions of "hate" could label criticism of the government as divisive, leading to shutdowns or fines. This can be a tool to suppress opposition.
These are not safeguards; they are steps toward total control. We've seen this script before: governments use "security" to censor critics. At Telegram, we prioritize your privacy and freedom: strong encryption, no backdoors, and resistance to overreach.
✊ Stay vigilant, Spain. Demand transparency and fight for your rights. Share this widely—before it's too late.
