Six years before Pavel Durov landed in a French holding cell, the anti-establishment founder of the messaging app Telegram was in a very different position in France. It was reported that French president Emmanuel Macron even invited Macron over to France for dinner back in 2018.
During the lunch meeting in 2018, Macron even invited Durov to move Telegram over to France. Durov declined Macron's invitation at that time, but Macron went even further to discuss the possibility of him granting Durov French citizenship if he struck the deal with him.
During that time, it seems that Macron was basically trying to befriend Durov, and to get him to shift his company over to France.
But following the recent scandal surrounding Telegram, the French President had taken a complete U turn in his attitude towards Durov and Telegram now that the platform has gotten itself into hot water.
Now, Macron has denied all associations with Durov. During the interview, Macron denied inviting Durov to France and clarified that he had nothing to do with the arrest of Durov.
In a televised address, Macron stated:
"As far as I'm concerned, I was absolutely unaware of Mr. Durov's coming to France. And this is quite normal because I have not been aware of the coming of nationals from all over the world whether they have French nationality or not”
He further emphasized that Durov's legal matters would be handled independently by the French judicial system, distancing the arrest from any political interference.
The arrest of Pavel Durov has sparked widespread international criticism, with many in the tech and crypto sectors questioning the French government's motives. Many people have called the arrest of Durov an infringement of free speech.
Despite the backlash, Macron continues to assert that the decision to detain Durov was not politically motivated. But Netizens are thinking otherwise. Some are even speculating that the arrest of Durov could be due to his non-compliance to censorship.
French prosecutors have formally charged Durov, who is currently out on a €5 million bail-bond agreement.
Under the terms of his release, Durov is required to remain in France and report to local authorities on a weekly basis.
Following Durov’s arrest, the French president faced significant criticism from the global tech and crypto communities. Industry leaders voiced concerns over what they perceived as an authoritarian approach, with some comparing France to regimes like the Soviet Union in its final days.
Chris Pavlovski, the CEO of Rumble, accused the French President of lying about his commitment to freedom of speech in response to the arrest of Pavel, asking" When you say you are committed to freedom of expression, you are lying. We have a letter from France that proves this, without a doubt. We had to shutdown Rumble in France because you have no commitment to freedom of expression."
Similarly, Helius Labs CEO Mert Mumtaz criticized Macron, pointing to the inconsistencies in holding founders personally accountable for platform content: “Why aren’t you personally in jail for not controlling 100% of all crime in France?” Mumtaz added, “You can’t hold founders liable for not moderating speech while simultaneously claiming to defend freedom of expression.”
Even Vladimir Putin was questioning the selective actions of the French authorities. In an interview with RT, he pointed out the issues regarding messaging platforms like Telegram.
But he also pointed out that if the French authorities have chosen to arrest Durov, then they should also have arrested many other platforms for doing that same thing. But it seems not to be the case.
Durov's arrest has raised concerns about a potential crackdown on decentralized technology and entrepreneurs advocating for free speech.
The incident has fueled fears that the French government may be targeting platforms that promote unmoderated content. In response to these concerns, Rumble CEO Chris Pavlovski announced his departure from Europe, claiming his company had received threats from French authorities.
This ongoing controversy highlights the tensions between governments and tech platforms over issues such as free speech, moderation, and the growing influence of decentralized technologies.
Rumble CEO Chris Pavlovski departs Europe following the arrest of Telegram’s Pavel Durov, amidst ongoing disputes over censorship and platform moderation in both France and Russia.
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