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- Telegram CEO criticized the UK's proposed social media ban for teenagers
- As users did in Russia, Durov claims that teens will simply move to VPNs
- The UK announced a plan to ban all under-16s from social media platforms
The UK government's controversial plan to ban teenagers from social media is facing fresh criticism from the technology industry. Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has publicly slammed the proposal, comparing the UK's legislative approach to the heavy-handed internet censorship frequently deployed in Russia.
Taking to X, Durov reflected on the historical futility of government-mandated digital blockades. Drawing on his extensive experience operating a global messaging platform against the backdrop of restrictive regimes, he argued that state-level bans rarely achieve their intended effect.
Pointing directly to Russia's historical attempts to block platforms and control the flow of online information, Durov noted that citizens quickly found ways to adapt to the restrictions. "They just moved to VPNs," he stated, highlighting the inevitable cat-and-mouse game between internet regulators and everyday users.
Banning social media for teenagers only puts them in greater danger.Teens are forced to switch to VPNs — and unlock far worse illegal content.We’ve seen this before. When the Russian government banned Telegram, 95% of Russian teenagers kept using it. They just moved to VPNs.June 15, 2026
"No law can replace good parenting. Parents already have the tools to limit kids' digital consumption: parental controls, screen-time limits — or no smartphone at all. Instead, many parents give toddlers iPads just to keep them quiet," he also added.
As the June 2026 UK social media ban looms closer, the debate over how teenagers will respond is heating up.
For tech-savvy youth looking to bypass geographical or network-level blocks, firing up the best VPN on their smartphone is an increasingly trivial task.
A flawed comparison?
While Durov’s comments underscore the technical difficulty of enforcing an online blockade, his comparison to Russia’s sweeping censorship requires a reality check.
Blocking an entire platform for all citizens across an entire country — as Russia has routinely attempted — is fundamentally different from restricting social media access specifically for minors.
A targeted teen ban relies heavily on age verification tools at the point of sign-up or app download, rather than relying solely on ISP-level network blocking.
While a Virtual Private Network can effectively spoof a user's IP address and encrypt their web traffic, it cannot easily bypass strict age-gating mechanisms if social media platforms are legally compelled to require a government ID for account creation.
Ultimately, Durov might be overestimating the power of a simple location spoof when it comes to rigorous legislative age checks.
The VPN debate grows
Despite the nuances of age verification, Durov is far from the only public figure questioning the logistics of the UK's new legislation.
Politicians like Nigel Farage have also voiced doubts over whether the ban will work, similarly pointing to VPNs as an obvious and accessible workaround for determined teenagers.
The rush to legislate also comes despite brain experts telling the UK government that there is very little concrete scientific evidence proving that smartphones are actively harming kids.
Regardless, the ban is moving forward, prompting Telegram's CEO to condemn the restrictions much in the same way he previously urged Russians to stock up on VPNs to bypass domestic blocks.
Whether Durov’s prediction rings true in the UK remains to be seen. But if history is any indicator, whenever governments attempt to build digital walls, users will inevitably reach for the tools to climb over them.
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