Pavel Durov, the Franco-Russian CEO and co-founder of Telegram, was arrested and detained on the evening of Saturday, August 24 at Le Bourget airport. The arrest, initially reported by TF1 and confirmed Sunday by French authorities, follows a search warrant focused on the popular secure messaging app.
For those unfamiliar, Telegram is one of the most popular messaging apps in the world, with nearly a billion users worldwide according to its parent company. It owes part of its success to its powerful end-to-end encryption which offers considerable protection to users against prying eyes – including those of law enforcement, but also and above all toalmost total lack of moderation and cooperation with law enforcement.
Inaction is synonymous with complicity
In addition to the average users and activists who love it for its community features, it therefore serves as a refuge for certain groups that would have difficulty existing on other platforms and social networks, from organized crime networks to terrorist organizations. An evil deemed necessary by Durov, a self-proclaimed libertarian who is notoriously opposed to any form of regulation of freedom of expression.
But governments generally have a very different reading of the situation. Several countries, including Germany, have already considered banning Telegram on their territory for these reasons. In France, it is rather the authorities who have taken up the case. According to Le Monde, the OFMIN, a division of the police specializing in the protection of minors, had discreetly launched an investigation into the dissemination of child pornography on the platform, and according to AFP, it was quickly joined by several other institutions interested in drug trafficking, money laundering, as well as various types of scams and fraud.
Justice considers that Telegram’s inaction makes its CEO directly complicit in these activities. « On his platform, he allowed countless crimes and offenses to be committed, for which he did nothing to moderate or cooperate. “, indicates a source close to the case quoted by TF1/LCI.
Outraged reactions
The arrest of a platform leader over the content published on it is a world first. So there is no real precedent that could allow us to know what awaits Durov in the short, medium or long term. What is certain is that the incident had the effect of a bomb in activist circles, which were quick to react.
We can notably cite: Edward Snowdenthe former CIA employee who became world famous when he exposed the existence of US and British mass surveillance programs. On Twitter/X, he said Durov’s arrest represented ” an attack on the fundamental rights of freedom of expression and association ». « I am surprised and deeply saddened that Macron has resorted to taking hostages to gain access to private communications. ” he added.
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The arrest of @Durov is an assault on the basic human rights of speech and association. I am surprised and deeply saddened that Macron has descended to the level of taking hostages as a means for gaining access to private communications. It lowers not only France, but the world.
— Edward Snowden (@Snowden) August 25, 2024
Elon Musk, a self-proclaimed supporter of the “ absolute freedom of expression “, also added his two cents with a message tinged with sarcasm. POV: It’s 2030 in Europe and you’re being executed for liking a meme ” he posted to his 195 million Twitter followers.
Soon, politicians also got involved in the discussion. For example, many Russian officials quickly took the opportunity to accuse France of perpetuating a double standard of justice. In a Telegram message cited by the Washington PostRussian Ambassador Mikhail Ulyanov argued that Durov’s detention was symptomatic of a “ very alarming totalitarian tendency in countries that claim to be democratic ».
Telegram, for its part, claims to comply with European Union laws, and maintains that its moderation policy is in line with the rest of the industry. However, the company insists that it is absurd to consider that a platform or its owner can be held responsible for user abuse, and that it “ expects a rapid resolution of the situation “. To be continued.
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