US government-funded censorship unit targeted Telegram two months before CEO’s arrest: report

Posted on by Vaseline

Pavel Durov, the Russian-born founder and CEO of messaging app Telegram, was arrested over the weekend when he landed in Paris.

French authorities have filed serious charges against the man, who holds dual nationality from the UAE and France, including drug offences and child sexual exploitation.

These charges are based on alleged activities on the Telegram platform and not on any personal actions of Durov.

The timing of Durov’s arrest raised suspicions.

According to Revolver News, this comes on the heels of a conference sponsored by the Atlantic Council’s DFR Lab, which criticized Telegram’s refusal to censor information about the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

The Atlantic Council, known for its ties to US intelligence agencies and Ukrainian oligarchs, has been involved in censorship efforts in the past.

Some of these activities were covered extensively in the infamous Twitter Files.

Other activities were highlighted in Shellenberger’s testimony before the Justice Committee.

To add fuel to the fire, Durov is said to have told French authorities that he had traveled to Paris for dinner at Macron’s invitation.

Revolver noted that this claim, if true, indicates a possible plot orchestrated at the highest levels of government.

Critics argue that Durov’s arrest is an escalation in the ongoing battle between privacy activists and government surveillance.

Edward Snowden and Elon Musk have both condemned the move, with some seeing it as a possible precursor to legal action against other tech leaders who resist censorship demands.

According to Revolver, the geopolitical implications of Durov’s arrest cannot be ignored.

Telegram has become a major platform for sharing unfiltered information from conflict zones such as Ukraine and Gaza.

This has likely put the app in the sights of several countries seeking to control the flow of information.

Durov’s background further complicates the situation.

Despite accusations that he is a Russian agent, he lives in exile from Russia because he refuses to compromise Telegram’s privacy at the government’s request.

His choice to live in the UAE, given the country’s neutral stance in the US-Russia conflict, was seen as an attempt to navigate the dangerous waters of international politics.

The arrest of Pavel Durov is a potential turning point in the ongoing battle between tech companies and government control.

As the case unfolds, it will undoubtedly have far-reaching implications for online privacy, freedom of expression and the future of encrypted communications platforms.

Telegram has nearly a billion active users and has become popular for its privacy-focused approach.

Durov’s arrest has sparked controversy, with many questioning the motives behind it.

French President Emmanuel Macron claimed on social media that the arrest had no political motives, but skepticism remains high.

Earlier this year, Durov told Tucker Carlson that he had been approached by “both sides” of the political spectrum following the January 6, 2021, Capitol riots.

“The FBI and the intelligence community pay too much attention to us wherever we are in the United States,” he told Carlson during another portion of the rare interview.

The Telegram boss also noted that the agency tried to recruit one of its engineers during a visit to San Francisco.

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