The founder and CEO of the popular messaging app Telegram, Pavel Durov, was arrested on Saturday at a French airport. Following this, reactions started pouring in globally. Tech leaders like Elon Musk and Edward Snowden, along with CEOs of major tech companies, have voiced their opposition to this arrest.
According to reports, the French police have made serious allegations against Pavel Durov. If proven true, these could result in a maximum sentence of 20 years. His arrest is part of a police investigation that concluded that the app failed in its moderation role, finding instances of criminal activities on the platform.
News of Pavel Durov's arrest spread like wildfire globally. And why not? He is ranked 120th on the list of the world's richest people. In 2014, he left Russia due to governmental pressure to shut down opposition party groups. He now resides in Dubai and holds dual citizenship of France and the UAE.
Source: aajtak
Tesla CEO Elon Musk reacted to Pavel Durov's arrest on his X platform (formerly known as Twitter). He used #FreePavel at the top of his post, followed by a video of over one minute featuring Pavel Durov.
Former NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden also posted on the X platform, expressing his thoughts on the arrest. He said that Pavel Durov's detention is an attack on human rights and it deeply saddens him that Macron is using arrests to gain access to private communications. This, he said, is a disgrace not only for France but for the world.
American entrepreneur Balaji Srinivasan also criticized the French government’s decision. He stated they seem more interested in controlling other matters than fighting crime.
Computer scientist and author Paul Graham shared his opinion on the X platform, indicating his disbelief that a country establishing itself as a startup hub would arrest the CEO of Telegram.
Saturday:
Pavel Durov arrested at a French airport.
After the arrest:
Global reactions started pouring in, especially from major tech figures.
During Investigation:
The French police found instances of criminal activities on the Telegram platform.
