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Telegram becomes free speech flashpoint after founder’s arrest
11:27 28.08.2024 •
Relations between Moscow and Paris have hit a new low amid the stance the French authorities have taken on free speech, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday commenting on the recent arrest of Telegram founder and French-Russian citizen Pavel Durov. "Relations between Moscow and Paris have flatlined, partly because of the stance Paris assumed regarding freedom of speech, freedom to disseminate information, and with respect to the profession of journalism in general," Lavrov said.
Telegram, founded in 2013 by the Russian entrepreneur Pavel Durov, has grown into one of the world’s largest online communication tools and is central to everyday life in countries like Russia, Ukraine and India for messaging, getting independent news and exchanging views.
The company’s growth — it now has more than 900 million users — has been driven partly by a commitment to free speech. Telegram’s light oversight of what people say or do on the platform has helped people living under authoritarian governments communicate and organize. But it has also made the app a haven for “disinformation”, “far-right extremism” and other harmful content, writes ‘The New York Times’.
Many were shocked when reports emerged on Saturday across French news media that Mr. Durov had been arrested in France on charges related to the spread of illicit material on the service. A French judicial official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation, confirmed on Sunday evening that Mr. Durov was in police custody. As word spread online over the weekend, news of his detention became a flashpoint in a continuing debate about free speech on the internet.
Elon Musk, the owner of X (banned in RF), which has adopted a similarly hands-off approach to content moderation, posted “#FreePavel” on his account. “It’s 2030 in Europe and you’re being executed for liking a meme,” he also said.
The reaction over the news of the arrest showed how concerns about free expression, censorship and government oversight of online content are rising at a time when regulatory scrutiny of speech on the internet around the world has ramped up. National governments, especially those in the European Union, have intensified pressure on companies to address disinformation, online extremism, child safety and the spread of illicit material.
Mr. Durov, 39, was arrested at Le Bourget Airport near Paris after landing on a private plane from Azerbaijan, according to French news reports. The French judicial official said on Sunday evening that his time in custody had been extended.
In a statement on Telegram on Sunday, the company said, “Telegram abides by EU laws,” adding, “Telegram’s CEO Pavel Durov has nothing to hide.”
In an interview on Telegram, George Lobushkin, a former press secretary for Mr. Durov who remains close to him, wrote, “This is a monstrous attack on freedom of speech worldwide.”
The arrest of Mr. Durov risked intensifying tensions with Russia. The Russian Embassy in France said in a statement on Sunday that it had asked the French authorities for clarification on news of the arrest.
Mr. Durov, whose net worth was estimated by Bloomberg at more than $9 billion, has largely avoided the kind of public scrutiny faced by top executives of other large online platforms, including Elon Musk of X, Mark Zuckerberg of Meta, Shou Chew of TikTok and Sundar Pichai of Google.
Mr. Durov’s arrest has little precedent. While the European Union and United States government have summoned and questioned leaders of other social media firms, rarely has a major tech leader been arrested over what takes place on such sites.
Of particular interest after Mr. Durov’s reported detainment in France could be what information Telegram would decide to share, or withhold. The French authorities may try to force Telegram to share information with them on criminal channels that, for instance, are used to sell firearms or coordinate terrorist attacks. Such a move could test Telegram’s claim to its users that it strictly safeguards their information.
A Russian national, Mr. Durov left Russia in 2014 after he lost control of Vkontakte, the rival to Facebook in Russia. The year before, he had founded Telegram, selling it as an uncensored and secretive way to communicate. The company is now based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Mr. Durov has citizenship in France and the U.A.E., according to Telegram.
Telegram works as a standard messaging app, like iMessage or WhatsApp, but also hosts channels and groups in which large numbers of people can broadcast ideas and communicate.
Telegram’s popularity is partly rooted in moves that it made to allow the hosting of huge chat groups of up to 200,000 people, at a time when other social media, like WhatsApp, were taking steps to cut back group sizes. Other functions, like the sharing of large files, no limits on sharing links and bots that can interact with users within channels, have helped make it a powerful tool for social organization and coordination.
Those capabilities, combined with the app’s minimal moderation, made it a haven for individuals and groups that were banned from other platforms like Twitter and Facebook.
Telegram makes money through in-app purchases, advertising, subscriptions and other promotions. In March, Mr. Durov told The Financial Times that Telegram was nearing profitability and considering an initial public offering.
After he left Russia in 2014, Mr. Durov said he traveled to Berlin, San Francisco, London, Singapore and other cities before making Dubai the headquarters for Telegram. Russia at one point tried to ban Telegram, but the company’s troubles appeared to ease after a top company executive appeared in 2020 on a tech panel with Russia’s prime minister.
Tucker Carlson, the far-right talk show host who interviewed Mr. Durov this year, said the arrest was “a living warning to any platform owner who refuses to censor the truth at the behest of governments and intel agencies.”
https://en.interaffairs.ru/article/telegram-becomes-free-speech-flashpoint-after-founders-arrest/
