The News
Elon Musk has publicly defended Telegram CEO Pavel Durov after he was detained in France on Saturday over a lack of moderation on the platform that authorities say led to its misuse for criminal activities.
The X owner posted a news story about Durov’s arrest with the words: “POV: It’s 2030 in Europe and you’re being executed for liking a meme,” and reposted several comments comparing content moderation to censorship.
Durov, a 39-year-old Russian-born billionaire, founded news and messaging platform Telegram in 2013, framing it as neutral. But the encrypted app has since become a dominant communications tool in the Russia-Ukraine war, with both sides accused of posting propaganda. It’s also a popular communication tool for criminals and dissidents alike.
French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday disputed suggestions the arrest was political, writing on X: “The arrest of the president of Telegram on French soil took place as part of an ongoing judicial investigation. It is in no way a political decision.”
SIGNALS
Russian propagandists and independents alike rocked by Durov’s arrest
Durov’s arrest was criticized across the Russian political spectrum, The Moscow Times noted, with propagandists for Russian President Vladimir Putin joined by independents in blasting the French authorities’ move. Over the years, Telegram has become a destination for independent media organizations and dissidents to safeguard their correspondence from Moscow.. But Putin’s regime has also used the platform as a tool, spending millions to boost the Kremlin’s propaganda. With Telegram also a major military communication platform for both sides in the Ukraine war, the Russian army worries about the secrets France could access with Durov in custody.
Musk in EU crosshairs over content moderation, but situation is different
Musk and Durov both face accusations of illegal content proliferating on their platforms, and the X owner, a self-declared free speech absolutist, has decried online moderation as censorship. “It’s not hard to see why Musk might feel kinship with Durov,” Politico wrote, given that both are in the EU’s crosshairs over content moderation. However, while Musk’s X is protected by the European Union as a “Very Large Online Platform” — meaning countries in the bloc cannot seek justice unilaterally against it — Telegram doesn’t have enough users to be designated as such. Musk is unlikely to be “plucked off a private airport tarmac” like Durov, Politico wrote: “The most unpleasant thing he’s had to endure so far is a stern letter.”
The utopian vision of social media is coming to an end
Durov’s arrest underscored how a one-time utopian vision of social platforms as a “new open, global digital space whose giant, mostly American owners could disregard national laws in favor of universal values,” is coming to an end, Semafor’s Ben Smith wrote. In Twitter’s early days, tech founders believed themselves to be disruptors, “creating a space for genuine public discourse,” a former Twitter employee told The Guardian. Mark Zuckerberg had “a vision for a world united by Facebook,” the MIT Technology Review stated in 2017. But in recent years the debate over misinformation has grown, with governments attempting to impose rules over what is and isn’t allowed on social media. “Telegram has often stayed out of the media spotlight, but now it’s the canary in the coal mine,” Smith added.