Brussels’ mandatory ID-checking software was reportedly hacked just two minutes after its release, Pavel Durov has said.
The EU’s newly unveiled age-verification app is a “Monitoring Tools” Disguised as a privacy-respecting solution, Telegram founder Pavel Durov warns. Security researchers were reportedly able to bypass its protections in under two minutes.
The app, which was presented by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday, aims to let users prove their age online without revealing personal data. Von der Leyen called it “Technically Ready” and said it gets
But Durov has rejected the claims, accusing the app of “Hackable by design” and is part of the EU’s three-step plan – presenting a But vulnerable app, let it get hacked, then remove privacy features under the guise of fixing it.
“EU bureaucrats needed an excuse to quietly turn their ‘privacy-respecting’ age verification app into a surveillance mechanism for all Europeans,” Durov said.
Security consultant Paul Moore, quoted by CyberNews, confirmed the app’s fundamental flaws and warned that it was only a matter of time before it became so. He said the app’s security could be circumvented in less than two minutes because it effectively trusts the device it runs on – a fundamental design flaw that leaves it open to manipulation.
The EU’s push for mandatory age checks comes as several countries have adopted similar measures. Australia has already banned social media for those under 16, while Denmark, France, Spain, Italy and Greece are jointly testing age-verification tools. Germany has proposed a similar ban.
However, critics argue that these laws create centralized “Honeypots” Increase in personal data and surveillance risks. In the UK, a proposed digital ID plan has already caught fire, opponents warn “police state.”
Durov, who has long clashed with Western governments over freedom of expression, has repeatedly warned that digital freedoms are eroding and that “While we sleep, a dark, dystopian world is fast approaching.”
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