Pavel Durov

Pavel Valeryevich Durov (born 10 October 1984) is a Russian-born French-Emirati entrepreneur who is known for being the founder of the social networking site VK and instant messaging app Telegram. He is the younger brother of Nikolai Durov.

Pavel Durov in 2013

Quotes

• Every one of us is going to die eventually, but we as a species will stick around for a while. That’s why I think accumulating money, fame or power is irrelevant. Serving humanity is the only thing that really matters in the long run.
  • "Why WhatsApp Will Never Be Secure" 2019-05-15
  • In reference to his expatriation from Russia after refusing to breach the privacy of VK users for the government

• In my 20 years of managing discussion platforms, I noticed that conspiracy theories only strengthen each time their content is removed by moderators. Instead of putting an end to wrong ideas, censorship often makes it harder to fight them.
  • "t.me/durov/163" 2021-07-21
  • Referring to the suppression of the COVID-19 lab leak theory on social media platforms

• Earlier this week, Hamas used w:Telegram (software) to warn civilians in Ashkelon to leave the area ahead of their missile strikes. Would shutting down their channel help save lives — or would it endanger more lives?”

[Hamas Telegram channels] serve as a unique source of first-hand information for researchers, journalists and w:fact-checkers.

• • Hamas’ social media following has skyrocketed since its attack. America is powerless to stop it (October 17, 2023)