In a move that is sending shockwaves throughout the international social media community, France has decided to arrest the founder of Telegram, Pavel Durov, after being allegedly falsely allured to France by current fascist PM Emanuel Macron. The lame duck PM lured Pavel to France by inviting him to have dinner with him, only to have him arrested.
The arrest comes after Durov had recently spoken to Tucker Carlson, claiming authoritarian governments were trying to get Rumble to censor their users. The international response has been mostly in support of Durov, with the United Arab Emirates pulling out an arms deal over it and growing calls to boycott France until it frees Durov. Macron claimed the arrest wasn’t political, but no one is buying it.
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Excerpt from Gulf Business
Telegram says its founder Pavel Durov has nothing to hide
Pavel Durov, the Russian-born founder of Telegram who was arrested in Paris, has nothing to hide and it is absurd to hold an owner responsible for abuse of the messaging and social media platform, Telegram said in a statement.
Durov, a 39-year-old billionaire cast as “Russia’s Mark Zuckerberg”, was arrested at Le Bourget airport outside Paris shortly after landing on a private jet late on Saturday from Azerbaijan.
The arrest of the Telegram CEO prompted a warning from Moscow to Paris that he should be accorded his rights, and criticism from X owner Elon Musk who said that free speech in Europe was under attack.
Though there has been no official French comment on the arrest, French news channel franceinfo said that Durov was still in custody on Monday and that he could remain in custody for up to four days.
Telegram, in a short statement released after midnight Paris time, gave no details of the arrest but said the Dubai-based company abided by European Union laws and its moderation was “within industry standards and constantly improving”.
“Telegram’s CEO Pavel Durov has nothing to hide and travels frequently in Europe,” Telegram said. “It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner are responsible for abuse of that platform.”
“We’re awaiting a prompt resolution of this situation. Telegram is with you all.”
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Excerpt from news.sky.com
Arrest of billionaire Telegram founder not a political decision, says French president
The arrest of the billionaire Telegram founder on French soil was not a political decision, the country’s president has said.
Pavel Durov, who created the encrypted messaging app, was detained after his private jet landed at Le Bourget airport on the outskirts of Paris on Saturday.
He has been arrested and detained as part of a cyber criminality investigation – concerning crimes related to illicit transactions, child sexual abuse images and fraud – the Paris prosecutor has said.
In his first public comment on the matter, President Emmanuel Macron said his country “is deeply committed” to freedom of expression but “freedoms are upheld within a legal framework, both on social media and in real life, to protect citizens and respect their fundamental rights”.
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Excerpt from timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Telegram Founder Pavel Durov: From Elon Musk to Tucker Carlson: International support pours in for arrested Telegram founder Pavel Durov
French-Russian tech tycoon Pavel Durov was taken into custody at a Paris airport on Sunday for suspected involvement in activities associated with his messaging app Telegram. The alleged offences include fraud, drug trafficking, cyberbullying, organised crime and the promotion of terrorism.
As per the Moscow Times, Durov was detained at Le Bourget Airport and is scheduled to appear in court on Sunday itself.
He could face charges that carry a maximum prison term of 20 years. The arrest has sparked significant discussion and responses within the technology sector and among well-known individuals.
Warrant and content moderation concerns
France has authorised the arrest of Durov as a part of an initial inquiry into the purported offences. The detention of the founder of Telegram has sparked further debates regarding the platform’s policies on regulating content.
Renowned for its end-to-end encryption, Telegram permits groups of up to 200,000 members, consequently raising allegations that it enables the proliferation of inaccurate information and detrimental content.
Reactions from the tech industry
The reaction from the tech industry to Durov’s arrest has been swift and vocal.
Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX, was one of the first prominent tech figures to support the “#FreePavel” trend. He expressed concern about the arrest, seeing it as an attack on free speech and suggested wider implications for censorship. Musk highlighted the dangerous direction these actions represent and expressed increased worry about censorship.
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Excerpt from The Cryptonomist
Telegram compliant with EU laws despite the arrest of founder Pavel Durov
Telegram declares itself compliant with all EU laws and defends its CEO Pavel Durov
The great messaging app Telegram, defends its compliance with EU laws, after its CEO, Pavel Durov, was arrested in France.
“Telegram respects the laws of the European Union, including the Digital Services Act, and its moderation meets industry standards and is constantly improving. Telegram’s CEO, Pavel Durov, has nothing to hide and often travels to Europe.”
In practice, Telegram has stated that it is fully compliant with the laws of the European Union and that its content moderation practices fall within the “industry standards”.
This statement comes after its CEO was arrested at a French airport by local authorities. The reason for this arrest appears to be a criminal complaint focused on the platform’s moderation practices, which French law enforcement considers insufficient.
In fact, despite there not being a formal accusation published yet, it seems that the company and its CEO are guilty of having published organized criminal acts.
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Excerpt from Shore News Network
Rumble CEO Flees Europe as Free Speech Under Attack in U.S. and Globally
The recent events involving the arrest of Pavel Durov, CEO of Telegram, and the subsequent flight of Chris Pavlovski, CEO of Rumble, from Europe, underscore a troubling trend in the global battle over free speech, particularly in the digital age. These incidents are emblematic of the growing tension between governments and social media platforms that refuse to bow to demands for content censorship. This issue has profound implications for the future of free speech, both online and offline, and raises critical questions about the balance between regulation and freedom in democratic societies.
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Excerpt from observer.com
Who Is Telegram’s Billionaire CEO Pavel Durov and Why Was He Arrested?
Pavel Durov, the 39-year-old billionaire founder and CEO of the popular messaging app Telegram, who has historically flown under the radar, suddenly made headlines over the weekend after he was arrested in a Paris airport on Saturday (Aug. 25), according to local media reports that were later confirmed by French law enforcement. The surprise news came after Telegram faced backlash for enabling criminal activities through its encrypted messaging platform, and Durov was reportedly held responsible.
Telegram messages are encrypted, meaning no outside influence—not even the company itself or law enforcement—can see conversations that take place on the app. This has made the platform a center for free speech, particularly in non-democratic countries that stifle news at the state level. The flip side, however, is that Telegram has also become a breeding ground for criminal activities, extremism and disinformation. Durov’s arrest was specifically related to Telegram’s lack of content moderation, which has reportedly led to the propagation of pedophilia.
“Telegram abides byE.U.U laws, including the Digital Services Act,” the company said in a statement on X on Sunday, adding, “Telegram’s CEO Pavel Durov has nothing to hide and travels frequently in Europe.”
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Excerpt from Daily Coin
El Salvador Sides with Telegram’s CEO, Advocates Free Speech
Following the arrest of Telegram’s CEO Pavel Durov, several popular crypto figures offered support for the famed tech mogul. In the wake of Durov’s arrest, Nayib Bukele, the pro-Bitcoin President of El Salvador, posted a message on X, implying that the setback would have never happened in his country.
“We also guarantee that you won’t be arrested, censored, or have your assets seized for exercising your right to free speech,” remarked Bukele, who claims El Salvador is now the safest country in the Western Hemisphere. The small Central American nation adopted Bitcoin (BTC) as a legal tender in September 2021.
