Russian tech site rebrands as FSB names Pavel Durov a terrorist
The Russian technology news outlet Kod Durova has changed its name to Kod.ru. The rebranding follows a move by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) to accuse Telegram founder Pavel Durov of aiding terrorism.
The publication announced the transition, explaining that its original name no longer reflected its broadened editorial scope beyond Durov’s projects. Although editors claimed the name change was planned long before the recent political fallout to avoid false associations, they acknowledged that the Russian government’s sudden criminal designation of the tech founder undeniably accelerated the rebranding timeline.
freedom of expression pic.twitter.com/pntdmkNKW2
— Telegram Messenger (@telegram) July 30, 2026
First reaction and sweeping censorship
The FSB levelled the terrorism accusations against the tech billionaire on July 29. The first public reaction to the government’s statement came directly from the official Telegram Messenger account on X. Rather than issuing a corporate press release, the company’s social media page shared an old photograph of Pavel Durov showing his middle finger while seated at a dining table.
By July 30, Russian authorities officially added the entrepreneur to the national registry of terrorists and extremists. This blacklisting immediately prompted domestic online retailers to pull books and merchandise related to the tech founder from their shelves.
— Telegram Messenger (@telegram) July 29, 2026
Defiance and memes on social media
Durov himself quickly took to X to mock the government’s actions and triggered a wave of internet memes. The founder stated that Russia designated him a terrorist solely because he refused to comply with state demands for mass surveillance and censorship on his messaging platform.
Noting the distinct irony of his legal predicament, he pointed out that Russian law now officially bans him from publishing any information on the internet. He then quipped that Russian officials are clearly confused about who possesses the actual technical power to ban whom from the internet. Tech billionaire Elon Musk responded to Durov’s defiant statement from his account by posting a laughing emoji.
😂
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 31, 2026
Durov further ridiculed the Kremlin by posting a meme that directly contrasted his situation with Russia’s current geopolitical alliances.
— Pavel Durov (@durov) July 30, 2026
