Pavel Durov, the chief executive of the popular cloud-based messaging app Telegram, has been arrested in France over the platform's lack of moderation.
Durov was arrested after his private jet landed at Le Bourget Airport. According to authorities, the businessman was arrested under a warrant related to his popular social media app.
Telegram has 900 million active monthly users who use the platform for online communications.
However, some of the activity taking place on the social media site is nefarious and Durov has been criticized for not taking action against the criminal use of Telegram.
Specifically, Telegram is accused of not cooperating with law enforcement regarding crimes such as child sexual abuse, drug trafficking, and fraud, the BBC said. So-called “war porn” – violent videos from the Russian/Ukraine war – is also prevalent on the platform.
Many prominent figures, such as Lex Fridman and Elon Musk, believe that the arrest of Durov is an act of censorship that threatens free speech.
Arrest of Pavel Durov is a disturbing attack on free speech and a threat not just to Telegram but to any online platform.
undefined Lex Fridman (@lexfridman) August 25, 2024
Governments should not engage in censorship. This is a blatant and deeply troubling overreach of power.
Fridman wrote in a post on X that the “arrest of Pavel Durov is a disturbing attack on free speech and a threat not just to Telegram but to any online platform. Governments should not engage in censorship. This is a blatant and deeply troubling overreach of power.”
While other free speech advocates like Musk agreed with Fridman, when Musk posted an interview between Tucker Carlson and Durov with the hashtag ‘Free Pavel,’ many commenters went against the grain and highlighted the alleged issues permeating the platform.
#FreePavel
undefined Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 25, 2024
pic.twitter.com/B7AcJWswMs
Many users on X stated that distributing and soliciting child pornography via Telegram has nothing to do with free speech. While other users highlight separate alleged issues with the platform, such as facilitating drug trafficking, fascist behavior, and fraud.
Previously, Telegram has been used by Islamic State radicals to recruit coverts and by scammers to extort their victims out of millions.
In a recent post on X, Telegram said that the app “abides by EU laws, including the Digital Services Act – its moderation is within industry standards and constantly improving.”
⚖️ Telegram abides by EU laws, including the Digital Services Act — its moderation is within industry standards and constantly improving.
undefined Telegram Messenger (@telegram) August 25, 2024
✈️ Telegram's CEO Pavel Durov has nothing to hide and travels frequently in Europe.
😵💫 It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner…
The official Telegram Messenger account also said that its CEO has “nothing to hide” and added that Durov travels to Europe frequently for work.
“It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner is responsible for abuse of that platform,” Telegram said.
The social media platform claims that almost one billion people across the world use Telegram “as a source of vital information” and that it's waiting for “a prompt resolution of this situation.”
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