The arrest of billionaire Pavel Durov, co-founder of privacy messaging app Telegram, has sparked an outcry over censorship of free speech and the rise in authoritarianism. Elon Musk, flag bearer of free speech and freedom of rights on X, agreed with American entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy that the social media platform could be the next target. Also, it has raised concerns about the government’s control and overregulation of technology.
Elon Musk Affirms X Could Be Next After Telegram
Pro-Bitcoin Republican Vivek Ramaswamy in a post expressed his concern about Pavel Durov’s arrest at the airport in Paris, France. He said “It’s Telegram today. It’ll be X tomorrow.” His post sparked debate after Elon Musk agreed with Ramaswamy.
Elon Musk is actively protesting the censorship of free speech in the case on the X platform. According to Musk, “Moderation is a propaganda word for censorship.” People use X as it claims to value freedom of expression and privacy while defending the rights of people, as per the platform’s rules and policies.
Elon Musk in a post on X also shared Durov’s interview where he shared how the US government and the FBI poached one of the engineers of Telegram to provide backdoor access to the messaging app data.
Tom Shaughnessy, co-founder of crypto analytics firm Delphi Digital, said Pavel Durov’s arrest for not censoring the the messaging app indicates the lengths governments will go to control information. He added that governments and regulators are likely to go after artificial intelligence (AI) and large language models (LLMs), which democratize information at scale by making it accessible to a broader audience.
American venture capital investor Tim Draper also joined others in the campaign to release Durov. He said France has erased all hard work it put into the Olympics with “one stupid act of authoritarianism.”
FreeDurov Campaign Gains Voice
Interestingly, the campaign continues to gain support globally, from tech industry leaders to political figures. Along with X executive chairman Elon Musk, other notable personalities such as RFK Jr. have come in support of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov, criticizing the move by the French government. The French magistrate has extended Durov’s detention by 96 hours, after the recent allegations.
Durov was detained in connection to French authorities’ investigation into his alleged involvement in facilitating criminal activities through his messaging platform. This includes terrorism, drug trafficking, and money laundering allegations. As per France’s President Emmanuel Macron, the information shared regarding France is false, the country is “deeply committed to freedom of expression.”
“Telegram’s CEO Pavel Durov has nothing to hide and travels frequently in Europe,” Telegram spokesperson said on Monday. “It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner is responsible for the abuse of that platform.” The platform noted that its moderation is within industry standards and constantly improving.
I have seen false information regarding France following the arrest of Pavel Durov.
France is deeply committed to freedom of expression and communication, to innovation, and to the spirit of entrepreneurship. It will remain so.
In a state governed by the rule of law,…
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) August 26, 2024
Platforms Facing Government Scrutiny
Durov’s case had broader implications for platforms such as Elon Musk’s X and Rumble. The governments are banning or taking down support for companies and platforms based on various allegations.
Venture capitalist David Sachs, co-host of The All In Podcast, reiterated that the government’s recent censorship drive will kill platforms. He added that X and Rumble are the next target and regulators will go deeply to gain control over the information.
The revenue of X dropped 40% in the first six months after Elon Musk took over the company, as per a recent report. Musk’s goal to turn the platform into an everything app and the exodus of advertisers have impacted the company, but the expected launch of the payments service this year has raised some hope.
While the free speech-focused tech companies face challenges, the crypto industry building on decentralization and cryptography faces a higher degree of scrutiny. The tech and crypto industries are backing Republican candidates Donald Trump and JD Vance to address issues faced by the sectors.
Notably, a censorship issue led to Elon Musk’s X to exit Brazil this month. The social media platform announced its decision to shut down its business in the Latin American country with immediate effect.
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