And finally, it looks like Pavel Durov, Telegram’s founder and CEO who was arrested by the French Police on August 24th of this year has spoken out and Telegram CEO Pavel Durov breaks his silence after being arrested in france
Questioned about his links to the messaging platform Telegram, Durov, a tech millionaire who reportedly has non-traditional views on civil liberties and unpopular tendencies toward privacy rights, was apprehended at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris.
The Arrest and Charges
The arrest was connected to an investigation that said Telegram had been granting the advantage of its service for conducting illegal activities, including child exploitation and drug trafficking.
The French authorities blamed Durov, saying that the less stringent control on his platform allowed crimes to happen there. Durov was detained for four days and then placed under house arrest. At the moment, he has to stay in France and report once a week to French police.
Pavel Durov’s Response
The public heard from Durov on September 5th, when he took to his Telegram channel after several weeks of silence. Welcomme said he was shocked and angry at the action by French authorities, arguing that there were numerous legal routes they could have explored without arresting.
Pavel Durov replied that “Telegram has an EU representative and all law enforcement requests are passed along to them.” He said he provides details of his regular visits to the French consulate in Dubai and was only too easy for authorities to contact directly.
Durov also slammed the French arrest warrant, stating that he was targeted personally rather than directly attacked by any legal action on Telegram as a company. This, he said, illustrated a broader failure to grasp that digital platforms—such as Telegram—had a more decentralized design than other media outlets and allowed communications beyond the reach of their control.
Durov claims that his arrest was not just a reach, but could be perceived as blackmail on the part of the Department and serve some dangerous precedent for tech executives across the world—those fighting to protect freedom of speech online.
Telegram’s Future in France
The most shocking disclosure made in Durov’s statement was that Telegram might exit the regions where its planning is touching base at hazard. He said the company is guided by a mission to protect free speech and privacy, even if it means leaving markets behind. “Money is never worth more than freedom,” Durov said, “and that’s why we are spending $1 million with other people interested in freedom of speech for everyone (even those you personally don’t like).
Pavel Durov also stated,
“We are prepared to leave markets that aren’t compatible with our principles because we are not doing this for money. We are driven by the intention to bring good and defend the basic rights of people, particularly in places where these rights are violated.”
The departure of Telegram from France could be a tipping point, with consequences that extend much further than the 950 million users currently utilizing its platform around the world and who are about to experience even more severe restrictions. Durov has a track record of removing Telegram from restrictive markets, in fact, he had earlier left Russia and Iran as well.
International Reactions
The detention has touched off a wave of criticism from the liberal elite, who have likened even his brief arrest to a human rights atrocity. The arrests came as French President Emmanuel Macron denied the detention of Keo Remy was politically motivated, insisting it was a “legal” investigation. This did little to calm the wave of fury. Digital censorship has been one of the pillars on display following the brutal incident and many have criticized French for going beyond boundaries.
Tech community leaders such as Rumble CEO Chris Pavlovski are also among them. Pavlovski himself escaped from Europe not long after, fearful for the safety of tech entrepreneurs in that part of the world.
Moving Forward
Meanwhile, Durov insists he will do everything in his power to protect the main values of Telegram, as it is focusing on judicial investigation. He has refused diplomatic help from Russia and the UAE, indicating a career to deal with costs in the courts of France. Meanwhile, what happens with Telegram in Europe still hangs the balance—and Durov’s statements mark another example of tech companies coming up against government regulators over questions about digital privacy, free speech and platform accountability.
As the world constructs around, local and international scrutiny from what has been dubbed by some tech watchers as either a First Amendment-related debate or an infringement of freedom to communicate will likely ask whether this incident blazes new trails when it comes to digital communication, leaving one with thinking: In light of dominating universal tension, its immediate impact on results over future communications services; also relocating any telecommunication company anywhere in the global arena.
Moreover, Durov’s users and the crypto community more widely still stand in solidarity with him, protesting his arrest as an act of discourtesy to our core principles of freedom and expression on a global level.
