France

Telegram founder Pavel Durov seriously warned: France could slide into complete social collapse if it continues down the path of harsh censorship and meaningless regulation. In an interview with the French publication Le Point, he did not hide his disappointment with President Emmanuel Macron's actions, noting that the country is becoming weaker and less stable every day.

In an innovative move that could reshape the energy and technology landscape in Europe, France is considering leveraging Bitcoin ($BTC ) mining as a solution to manage surplus energy and stabilize its power grid. This initiative has the potential to transform around €80 million of wasted energy into a valuable asset, while also driving innovation and harnessing France's abundant nuclear capacity.
France, with a strong nuclear power infrastructure, often faces challenges in managing excess energy that cannot be absorbed by the grid. Bitcoin mining, known as one of the energy-intensive industries, can offer a unique solution. By diverting this surplus energy to mining operations, France can not only reduce waste but also create new revenue from crypto activities.

This week, Pavel Durov sat down for a rare interview with Tucker Carlson to discuss freedom of speech, encrypted communication, and why France wants to regulate private messengers like Telegram.
But behind the headlines lies something deeper: an ongoing legal conflict that could shape the future of digital privacy in Europe.
🔒 What is France accusing Telegram of?
While Durov wasn’t personally charged, French prosecutors have repeatedly demanded backdoors, decryption keys, and server access from Telegram. The reason? Criminals and terrorists use encrypted platforms.
Telegram, like Signal or WhatsApp, uses end-to-end encryption—but does not give law enforcement privileged access. France claims this puts national security at risk.
⚠️ Why this is controversial
Unlike the U.S. or UK, France is pushing legal tools to break encryption:

In 2020, France infiltrated EncroChat, a secure comms tool used by criminal networks.They passed laws to mandate decryption key disclosure, with prison terms for refusal (up to 5 years).In 2023–24, French ministries floated proposals to require all messaging apps to allow "algorithmic surveillance"(automated content scanning), even in private chats.

Durov refused. Hence the pressure campaign—and the legal limbo.
🌐 Precedents: France's Legal Wins
France is not bluffing. Here are some examples of successful enforcement:
1. EncroChat (2020) French police hacked the servers of a popular encrypted messaging service, exposing thousands of criminal operations across Europe. This is seen as one of the most successful cyber-infiltrations by a government.
2. Key Disclosure Law France’s Penal Code (Article 434-15-2) compels individuals to disclose encryption keys under criminal penalty. Refusal? Up to 5 years in prison (or 3 years if no direct crime is proven).
🔹 The Bigger Picture: Telegram as a Symbol
France's attempt to regulate Telegram is part of a broader trend:

Pushback against unregulated encryptionDesire for "sovereign digital spaces" in the EUGrowing appetite to control digital speech platforms
But Telegram isn’t alone. Durov’s standoff echoes other major fights:
Apple vs FBI (2016)WhatsApp vs Brazil (multiple bans over refusal to decrypt)
🏛️ What's next?
France may escalate. Legally or diplomatically. But Durov appears unmoved. As he told Carlson: “No government has ever received access to Telegram data."
If France succeeds, a dangerous precedent could be set. If Telegram resists and wins—it may become a symbol of digital sovereignty.
🕵️ Legal Kornet™ Takeaway:

The Durov case isn’t about one man. It’s about control of privacy tech in Europe.France has both the laws and operational history to apply serious pressure.But legal overreach could backfire—triggering political resistance and user migration.

📈 We’ll be tracking this closely.

Disclaimer:
The image used in this article is AI-generated and does not depict any real individual. It is intended for illustrative purposes only. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. The content is for informational and editorial use and does not constitute legal, financial, or investment advice.

#news_update #France
#TON #Telegram #Durov

When a former French MP gets into crypto, it makes waves! Pierre Person, known for his support for the blockchain ecosystem when he was a member of the National Assembly, recently unveiled Usual, an ambitious project centered on the USD0 stablecoin. The latter aims to compete with giants like USDT and USDC thanks to an innovative and transparent approach. (Source: Cryptoast)
Impressive funding for a promising project 💰🌍
To bring this project to life, Usual raised $10 million in a Series A funding round. This round attracted prestigious investors such as Binance Labs, Kraken Ventures, Coinbase, and many other big names in the industry. These funds will be used to perfect USD0 and strengthen its competitiveness in the global stablecoin market. (Source: Cryptoast)