By C. J. De Mel, Jadetimes News
Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, who was arrested in France recently, has come out hard with his lawyer calling the arrest "absolutely ridiculous" and a calculated attempt to gag freedom of speech. French media reported that 39-year-old Durov, founder of the popular messaging service, had been taken into custody when his private jet landed at Bourget Airport in Paris. According to Telegram staff, the arrest is connected to an investigation concerning the alleged failure of Telegram to moderate content.
Durov finds himself confronted with accusations of neglecting to avert criminal activities on Telegram, encompassing drug trafficking, child exploitation, and fraud. His lawyer, Dmitry Agranovsky, likened these accusations to blaming a car manufacturer for accidents or crimes that occur involving their vehicles. A Russian-born billionaire, Durov now calls Dubai home and holds citizenship in both the United Arab Emirates and France.
Telegram, founded by Durov in 2013, has huge popularity in such countries as Russia, Ukraine, and the former Soviet states. In 2018, the app was banned in Russia because of Durov's continuous denial to provide the government with user data, but this ban was somehow lifted in 2021. Despite standing among the giant social media platforms, Telegram has been under criticism due to its careless moderation policies, which many believe have given room for illegal and extremist content to thrive.
In the wake of Durov's arrest, the Russian Embassy in France took to Facebook to announce that it is actively seeking to "clarify the reasons for the detention" and to ensure that Durov's rights are safeguarded; however, it pointed out that French authorities have yet to cooperate. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova raised the question of whether Western human rights organizations would choose to remain silent on Durov's arrest, emphasizing what she perceives as a double standard concerning free speech in the West.
Many top officials in Russia have condemned the arrest, saying it lays bare how hypocritical the West really is on democracy and freedom of speech. Elon Musk weighed in to defend Durov, using the hashtag #freepavel and making sharp comments about what's been going on in Europe. Telegram's large user groups have made it a critical target of critics, with cybersecurity experts arguing that its actions to control extremist and illegal content are less strong than many other sites.
