Durov Slams Spain’s Age Checks as Privacy and Anonymity Fears Grow Online
Telegram co-founder Pavel Durov has publicly criticized Spain's proposed social media restrictions for users under 16, warning of potential censorship and erosion of digital privacy. The Spanish government defends the measure as necessary for child protection, but critics argue it could enable government surveillance and threaten anonymous communication online.
The debate reflects growing global tension between child safety initiatives and digital rights, with Australia, France, and the UK considering similar age verification systems. Privacy advocates caution that centralized age checks create vulnerabilities for data collection and political misuse, potentially impacting cryptocurrency communities that value anonymity.