Spain hits back at Pavel Durov over mass Telegram post on social media ban plan

Founder’s extraordinary intervention has laid bare rising tensions between European governments and tech firms

Spain has accused Pavel Durov of “spreading lies” and seeking to undermine democratic institutions after the Telegram founder used the messaging app to attack government plans to introduce a social media ban for under-16s and to hold tech companies responsible for hateful and harmful content.

Durov’s extraordinary public intervention – which came a day after Elon Musk called Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, a “true fascist totalitarian” over the proposed measures – reveals the rapidly escalating tensions between European governments and powerful global technology chiefs.

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Founder’s extraordinary intervention has laid bare rising tensions between European governments and tech firms

Spain has accused Pavel Durov of “spreading lies” and seeking to undermine democratic institutions after the Telegra... The story is categorized under International with a positive tone (score 0.12).

Key Insights

Primary keywords: media, spain, social, durov, pavel.
Topic focus: International coverage with positive sentiment.
Source context: reported by Guardian Business.
Published: 2026-02-05.

Tone & Sentiment

The article tone is classified as positive, driven by the language and emphasis in the summary. The sentiment score of 0.12 indicates the strength of that tone.

Context

This piece fits within the broader International narrative, connecting current events to ongoing developments. Readers tracking International trends can use this article as a concise signal of what is shaping coverage right now.

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International

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Guardian Business Spain hits back at Pavel Durov over mass Telegram post on social media ban plan