Criminal case opened against Pavel Durov for “aiding terrorism.” Are Telegram users now at risk?

Criminal case opened against Pavel Durov for “aiding terrorism.” Are Telegram users now at risk?

A criminal case has been opened in absentia against Pavel Durov, the founder of VKontakte and Telegram, under the article on “facilitating terrorist activity.”

The security forces’ claims against Durov are connected to the allegation that Telegram’s administration does not remove channels, chats, and bots that are used to prepare “sabotage and terrorist acts.”

In particular, this concerns the dating bot “Daivinchik,” where, according to the FSB, Ukrainian intelligence services pose as girls, get acquainted with young Russian men, and recruit them to carry out sabotage and terrorist attacks. It is reported that over the course of a year, at least 46 boys recruited through “Daivinchik” were detained. Their ages range from 12 to 22.

What does this mean for Telegram’s audience? Is it now unsafe to use it?

For the service’s broad audience, there are no grounds for concern, says an OVD-Info lawyer:

“The charge against Durov itself (and even a future sentence) carries no consequences for Telegram users. The case concerns him personally, it does not mean Telegram as a legal entity is automatically recognized as extremist.”

At the same time, risks may arise for users of the specific chatbot, who may face increased attention from the security forces.

Our colleagues from “Net Freedoms” note that subscribing to “Daivinchik” and any activity there (forwarding messages, likes, comments, and especially sending paid stars and donations) may “create risks of detention, interrogation, and the use of various coercive measures.”

It is also worth taking into account that there is an entire ecosystem around the chatbot, for example a Telegram channel with 5 million subscribers and a Ukrainian version of the chat. Using them may also be risky.

What is happening with “Daivinchik” right now?

In December 2025, “Daivinchik” on Telegram was added to Roskomnadzor’s Unified Register of Banned Websites. The stated reason was that the chatbot allegedly contains child pornography and LGBT propaganda.

At the same time, as internet users note, the service continues to operate freely on other platforms. In particular, the “Leonardo Daivinchik” dating community on VK has more than 13 million users. The service is also available in the “Max” messenger.

Pavel Durov responding to the accusations by Russian security forces / Photo: official Telegram account

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