The founder and CEO of the messaging app has cited a surge in Telegram-related media mistakes that spread rapidly despite swift denials

Telegram has been subjected to a coordinated smear campaign, CEO Pavel Durov has suggested, citing the rapid spread of bogus reports about the company's plans and policies.

The claims follow the appearance of a story online about Telegram's exit from Russia that was initially published as a joke by local satirical website Panorama.

"We're probably not dealing with innocent journalistic errors, but with a targeted campaign to discredit Telegram," Durov said on Wednesday in a post on the messaging platform, urging users to stay alert.

Durov noted that the fake story was quickly reposted by serious news channels without any indication that it was satire, forcing the platform to add disclaimers under such posts.

The billionaire also denied reports that channels collecting and publishing data from open sources had been blocked "for political reasons," emphasizing that "a few channels were briefly taken down by automated scripts" due to the publication of personal data. Durov stressed that some media reports emerged after the channels had been restored but failed to mention the fact.

The tech entrepreneur also mentioned "a technically illiterate investigation" revealed in June which claimed that Telegram's IP addresses put user data at risk and accusing the platform of having ties to Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB). Durov specified that publications citing "independent experts" debunking the claims haven't received as much media coverage as the original report.

"For more than 12 years, Telegram has defended people's right to privacy and free access to information, which is why we have often become the target of media pressure from various sides," Durov concluded.

Last month, the billionaire, who is under investigation in France, accused the French daily Le Monde of waging a smear campaign against his messaging platform. Durov said that the newspaper had published 40 negative articles about Telegram in the seven weeks following his arrest at a Paris airport in August 2024.

Detained on charges of complicity in crimes allegedly committed by Telegram users, including extremism and child abuse, Durov was later placed under judicial supervision and released on bail.

(RT.com)