Pavel Durov, the founder of the Telegram messenger, warned in his first video message in French about the threat to freedom of speech and privacy in Europe.

"For the past 12 years, Telegram has been protecting freedom of speech and privacy in the world and in autocratic states. Today, these very freedoms are under attack here in Europe," Durov says in a video posted on the social network X.

According to him, some politicians are trying to ban encryption and restrict freedom of speech.

"We can never think that freedoms are guaranteed. Free countries can descend into dictatorships. Every day our freedoms are under attack," Durov added.