Telegram messaging app CEO Pavel Durov arrested in France, French media say

What crimes have been alleged?

 

Funny how early on - and still - Western governments imagine they’re exacting revenge, on Russia, by going after rich people who gave Putin the finger on their way out of Russia. First it was oligarch’s yachts, now this guy.

 

Encrypted messaging app is a hot bed for coordinating illegal activities. France responds.

 

Pavel’s response:

 

I wonder if this could be connected in any way to the Trump "assassin's" use of encrypted apps. The Trump administration was a big fan of them too, though it was mostly Signal not Telegram.

 

Evidently the man sans glued-on hair

 

France issued warrants due to Telegram allowing content for drug trafficking, child sexual content and fraud.
Durov knew about investigations yet travelled to France anyway. (Possible defection?)

The freakout in Russia is because their government and law enforcement routinely conducted official business on Telegram. And they apparently have no alternate broad-based working communications system in place at this time.

 

Sounds like that Silk Road guy that ended up with life in prison.

It’s not a black and white issue. On the one hand I’m sure most people would agree platforms are not responsible for *everything* that goes on. Otherwise literally every online enterprise could likely be construed as aiding and abetting criminals in some way. On the other hand if a platform seems to exist primarily to host criminals, gives criminals tools to coordinate and evade law enforcement, or refuses to cooperate with law emforcent then maybe the platform is indeed a criminal enterprise. Basically a platform should not be held liable if they act in good faith, but a bad faith platform that becomes grounds for criminality… maybe. It’s not clear cut because obviously deciding “good faith” vs “bad faith” is subjective and arbitrary. But I had no issue with the Silk Road guy getting taken down. Don’t know enough about this guy yet to know if he acted in “good faith”, or what the basis for the French charges are.

 

So you are suggesting the arrest is cover for a defection? Interesting possibility.

 

He became a French citizen in 2021.

 

I see.

I’d heard of Telegram, didn’t know much about it other than it was an encryption app favored by terrorists. But I guess it’s important to the Russian govt as well (and apparantly ALSO used by Ukraine and anti-Putin groups in Russia, so indeed it is a utility for “both sides” to some of these conflicts).

Russian billionaire sets up company in UAE and lives in France. Apparently the whole company only has 30 employees? Sounds pretty dicey. This guy could have a lot of leverage over people should he decide to turn off the encryption and “intercept” some key messages.

 

Conspicuously silent when books are banned from adults at college campuses in Florida.

 

What kinds of terrorists?

 

Telegram or Crypto?

 

Democrats should take notice since they're headed this way too.
Freedom of speech is more important than aborting your babies.
The Eurozone doesn't create anything, they just tax and over-regulate.
If given the chance they would also detain Zuckerberg and Elon Musk too.
Section 230 of the Communications Act prevents this nonsense in America.

 

Just like crpyto according to your party.