- Telegram CEO criticized UK proposal to ban social media for teenagers
- Like users in Russia did, Durov says teens will simply switch to VPNs
- The United Kingdom announced a plan to ban all children under 16 from accessing social media platforms
The UK government’s controversial plan to ban teenagers from social media is facing fresh criticism from the tech industry. Telegram CEO Pavel Durov publicly criticized the proposal, comparing the UK’s legislative approach to the harsh internet censorship often implemented in Russia.
In X, Durov reflected on the historical futility of digital blockades imposed by governments. Drawing on his extensive experience operating a global messaging platform in the context of restrictive regimes, he argued that bans at the state level rarely achieve the desired effect.
Taking direct aim at Russia’s historic attempts to block platforms and control the flow of information online, Durov noted that citizens quickly found ways to adapt to the restrictions. “They just moved on to VPNs,” he said, highlighting the inevitable cat-and-mouse game between Internet regulators and everyday users.
Banning social media for teenagers only puts them in greater danger. Teenagers are forced to switch to VPN and unblock much worse illegal content. We have seen this before. When the Russian government banned Telegram, 95% of Russian teenagers continued using it. They just switched to VPNs.June 15, 2026
“No law can replace good parenting. Parents already have the tools to limit children’s digital consumption: parental controls, screen time limits, or no smartphones. Instead, many parents give iPads to young children just to keep them calm,” he also added.
As the UK’s social media ban approaches in June 2026, the debate over how teenagers will respond intensifies.
For tech-savvy young people looking to bypass geo- or network-level blocks, activating the best VPN on your smartphone is an increasingly trivial task.
A flawed comparison?
While Durov’s comments underscore the technical difficulty of imposing an online block, his comparison to Russia’s extensive censorship requires a reality check.
Blocking an entire platform for all citizens of an entire country (as Russia has routinely attempted) is fundamentally different from restricting access to social media specifically for minors.
A ban targeting teenagers depends largely on age verification tools at the time of registration or app download, rather than relying solely on network blocking at the ISP level.
While a virtual private network can effectively spoof a user’s IP address and encrypt their web traffic, it cannot easily bypass strict age control mechanisms if social media platforms are legally required to require government identification for account creation.
Ultimately, Durov might be overestimating the power of a simple location parody when it comes to rigorous legislative age controls.
The VPN debate grows
Despite the nuances of age verification, Durov is far from the only public figure to question the logistics of the new UK legislation.
Politicians like it Nigel Farage has also expressed doubts about whether the ban will work, also pointing out that VPNs are an obvious and accessible solution for determined teenagers.
The rush to legislate also comes despite brain experts telling the UK government that there is very little concrete scientific evidence to show that smartphones are actively harming children.
Regardless, the ban goes ahead, prompting Telegram’s CEO to condemn the restrictions in the same way he previously urged Russians to stock up on VPNs to avoid national blocks.
It remains to be seen whether Durov’s prediction rings true in the UK. But if history is any indicator, whenever governments try to build digital walls, users will inevitably look for the tools to overcome them.
