The French government’s stunning arrest of Telegram CEO has increased concerns that technology entrepreneurs prioritizing internet freedom of speech will not find haven in Europe. Mr. , who oversees the encrypted Telegram messaging and social media platform, was arrested Saturday upon arrival at a Paris airport.
The French government said Monday that the arrest was part of an investigation into the criminal activity of a “person unnamed” on several charges, involving complicity in organized fraud, possessing pornographic images of minors, drug trafficking and more. A former White House National Security Council aide warned X’s Elon Musk, who spoke out in support of Mr. Durov online, to be “nervous” as a result.
The leader of Rumble, a YouTube rival, quickly left the European continent. In Britain, arrests over online posts began this month. Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mark Rowley pledged in an interview aired on Sky News to “come after” those beyond the country’s borders.
French President on Monday denied any political bias behind Mr. Durov’s arrest, but the government has acknowledged the arrest is connected to the tech platform’s approach to censoring content. Jean-Michel Bernigaud, secretary general of French police agency OFMIN, said Mr.
Durov’s arrest was attributable to Telegram’s failure to sufficiently police the content on its site. “At the heart of this issue is the lack of moderation and cooperation of the platform (which has nearly.