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Telegram CEO Pavel Durov Arrested In France Over Moderation Policy On The Pro-free-speech Messaging App
August 25, 2024
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Russian-born founder and owner of Telegram was arrested Saturday, at Le Bourget airport outside Paris shortly after landing on a private jet from Azerbaijan. The 39-year-old billionaire who has dual French and UAE citizenship, has been placed in custody as part of a preliminary investigation into alleged wide range of crimes committed on the messaging app due to a lack of moderation, and a lack of cooperation with police.

Authorities have since reportedly extended Durov's detention to another 96 hours.

There was no initial official confirmation from France of the arrest, but police had reportedly spotted he was on the passenger list and moved to arrest him because he was the subject of an arrest warrant in France.

Telegram is famously known to be among the least censored social media platforms, The company says it "is committed to protecting user privacy and human rights such as freedom of speech and assembly." Durov has resisted attempts to get him to censor legal speech on the messaging app.

“We get too much attention from the FBI and other security agencies whenever we come to the U.S," Durov told popular American journalist and podcaster Tucker Carlson earlier in the year. "The last time I was in the U.S., I brought an engineer who works for Telegram. There was an attempt by cybersecurity officers or agents to secretly hire my engineer behind my back. They were curious to learn which open-source libraries are integrated into Telegram's app, and they tried to persuade him to use certain open-source tools that would serve as backdoors. I personally experienced similar pressure in the U.S. Whenever I would go to the U.S., I would have two FBI agents greet me at the airport, asking questions. My understanding is that they wanted to establish a relationship to control Telegram better.”

A cybersecurity gendarmerie unit and national anti-fraud police unit are reportedly leading the French investigation into Telegram and Durov.

In a statement on X, the company writes: "Telegram abides by EU laws, including the Digital Services Act — its moderation is within industry standards and constantly improving. Telegram's CEO Pavel Durov has nothing to hide and travels frequently in Europe. It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner are responsible for abuse of that platform."

Russia's foreign ministry said it had sent a note to Paris demanding access to Durov.

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said that Durov had misjudged by fleeing Russia and thinking that he would never have to cooperate with the security services abroad.

Russian lawmaker Maria Butina, who spent 15 months in U.S. prison for acting as an unregistered Russian agent, said Durov "is a political prisoner - a victim of a witch-hunt by the West."

Durov arrest drew swift global condemnations with #FreePavel trending on social media, and many comparing France and Europe in general to the totalitarian regimes in China and North Korea where political dissent is not tolerated. Many on X raised concerns over travelling to France as a free-speech-minded tech entrepreneur.

Chris Pavlovski, CEO of YouTube rival Rumble whose platform has been forced to suspend services in France after rejecting regulator's demands to censor some users, wrote on X: "I’m a little late to this, but for good reason -- I’ve just safely departed from Europe. France has threatened Rumble, and now they have crossed a red line by arresting Telegram’s CEO, Pavel Durov, reportedly for not censoring speech. Rumble will not stand for this behavior and will use every legal means available to fight for freedom of expression, a universal human right. We are currently fighting in the courts of France, and we hope for Pavel Durov’s immediate release."

In a earlier post, he noted: "China bans Rumble; France threatens Rumble, we leave; Brazil threatens Rumble, we leave; UK threatens Rumble; Russia bans Rumble; New Zealand threatens Rumble; France arrests Telegram CEO. Free speech is under major assault and I will not stop fighting for it."

X owner and Tesla chief, Elon Musk wrote, "It's 2030 in Europe and you’re being executed for liking a meme." And responding to an X user who asked why Mark Zuckerberg is not facing the same prosecution given the prevalence of prohibited content across Meta platforms like Facebook and Whatsapp, Musk wrote, "Because he already caved into censorship pressure. Instagram has a massive child exploitation problem, but no arrest for Zuck, as he censors free speech and gives governments backdoor access to user data."

Telegram, with close to 1 billion users, is particularly influential in Russia, Ukraine and the republics of the former Soviet Union. The platform is also a political propaganda battlefield used by activists and influential leaders across the world including pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian groups, the Russian government, and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky and his officials.

Durov launched Telegram after he was pressured by Russian authorities to sell his social media platform VK. His younger brother, Nikolai, designed the encryption used in Telegram, according to Durov.

"I would rather be free than to take orders from anyone," Durov said in April about his exit from Russia and search for a home for his company, which included stints in Berlin, London, Singapore and San Francisco. He finally settled in Dubai, UAE.

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Trump Claims Hamas 'Didn't Want To Make A Deal;' Warns Europe About Immigration, As The U.S. President Visits Scotland

US President Donald Trump, speaking to reporters at the White House ahead of his trip to Scotland on Friday, said that Hamas did not want to release the remaining hostages and was not interested in making a peace deal. He claimed that Hamas "didn't want to make a deal" and suggested that the group's leaders "want to die."

Trump also mentioned that Hamas was not willing to negotiate because they "know what happens after you get the final hostages." He added that Israel would have to "finish the job" and "fight and clean it up" Trump's comments came after the US and Israel pulled their negotiators from Gaza talks, citing Hamas's lack of good faith.

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He emphasized that a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky "will happen," despite the Kremlin ruling out such talks in the near term.

The U.S. Preisent also renewed his threat to impose "secondary sanctions" on Russia, which would penalize countries and entities doing business with the country.

Responding to a reporter's question, Trump mentioned that he has not yet considered granting a pardon to Ghislaine Maxwell, a former associate of Jeffrey Epstein.

Trump also expressed optimism about the Federal Reserve lowering interest rates following his meeting with Fed Chair Jerome H. Powell.

The President also addressed trade relations, stating that the U.S. may not reach a new trade deal with Canada and could impose higher tariffs on Canadian exports, citing national security concerns related to fentanyl trafficking. He emphasized that the U.S. would impose 35% tariffs on Canadian goods starting August 1, unless a deal is reached. 

Furthermore, Trump indicated plans to meet with European Union representatives to negotiate a major trade agreement, with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expected to attend.

The U.S. president also spoke to reporters after arriving in Glasgow, Scotland where he emphasized his views on immigration and windmills, and mentioned his planned meetings with UK and Scottish leaders.

During his remarks in Glasgow, Trump stated, "I say two things to Europe: Stop the windmills. You're ruining your countries. You fly over and you see these windmills, ruining your beautiful fields and valleys. Killing your birds...ruining your oceans." He also addressed immigration, saying, "You've got to get your act together. You're not going to have Europe anymore. You gotta get to get your act together."

Trump further mentioned his intention to meet with UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Scottish First Minister John Swinney, stating, "I like your Prime Minister. He's slightly more liberal than I am, as you've probably heard, but he's a good man, he got a trade deal done." He also highlighted his golf courses in Scotland, saying, "The best course anywhere in the world is Turnberry. The players all want to be at Turnberry, everyone wants to be at Turnberry. It would be the best place anywhere in your country, there's no place like it"

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Platforms must filter out "harmful content" for users under 18, including sexually explicit material, content encouraging dangerous behaviors, and hate speech based on protected characteristics.

Some platforms have already begun enforcing these "highly effective" measures, while others are in the process of rolling them out.

Platforms hosting adult content or "harmful material" must implement robust age checks, such as facial scans, government-issued ID uploads, or payment card verification, moving beyond self-reported age checkboxes.

The UK regulator Ofcom oversees compliance, with penalties for non-compliance including fines up to $23 million or 10% of a platform’s global revenue (whichever is higher) and, in severe cases, court-ordered site blocking or restrictions via ISPs or payment providers.

Reddit has introduced age verification for UK users, requiring them to upload a government-issued ID or take a selfie to verify their age. This is part of the platform's compliance with the OSA, which aims to prevent children from accessing mature content. Some users argue that Reddit’s compliance without legal challenge compromises user privacy, as sensitive data is handled by third parties.

Bluesky has started rolling out age verification for its UK user base, requiring users to confirm they are over 18 to access direct messaging or view adult content.

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Critics, including privacy advocates, warn of risks like data leaks, phishing, and increased surveillance due to third-party age verification tools collecting sensitive personal data.

Ofcom acknowledges that determined users, particularly teenagers, may bypass restrictions using VPNs, though platforms are discouraged from promoting such workarounds.

OSA has already led to the blocking of immigration protest videos, indicating that the law is being applied to a broader range of content beyond just adult material.

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Cambodia-Thailand Border Conflict Escalates: Dozens Dead, 10s Of 1000s Displaced

The latest military escalation between Thailand and Cambodia along their disputed border which began Thursday, has marked the most severe confrontation between the two nations in over a decade, with dozens killed and tens of thousands displaced. Both sides are exchanging artillery, rockets, and airstrikes.

Cambodia has been accused of firing rockets into a Thai village and attacking a hospital, while Thailand has carried out air strikes on Cambodian military targets.

Thai F-16 fighter jets conducted airstrikes on Cambodian military targets, while Cambodia fired rockets and artillery into Thai territory. The fighting occurred in at least six areas, including near the ancient Ta Muen Thom temple.

Cambodia on Friday accused Thailand of using banned cluster munitions at a border area within Cambodian territory, in what it said was a repeat of "brutal tactics" Thailand employed during clashes in 2011. 

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More than 2,000 Cambodians have returned to their home country via the Thai town of Chanthaburi.

Droves of people have crowded up the checkpoint, waiting for their turn to cross over, photographs published by Bangkok Post show. Also seen there are trucks piled high with bags and boxes of belongings.

Thai authorities have denied Cambodia's allegations that its army bombed Preah Vihear Temple, a Unesco World Heritage Site that both countries had laid claim to before an ICC ruling that gave Cambodia sovereignity over it.

"The accusation by the Cambodian side that Preah Vihear Temple was damaged by the Thai attack is a clear distortion of the facts," the Thai army said on Friday.

Cambodia had accused Thailand of causing "significant damage" to the site with its "indiscriminate attacks, involving shelling and aerial bombardment".

Unesco has several conventions in place to prevent damage and destruction to sites it recognises.

"Thailand's aggressive actions not only endanger sites that form part of the shared heritage of humanity, but also reflect a blatant disregard for its international legal obligations," Phnom Penh had said.

In several strongly-worded posts on social media on Thursday, Thailand's suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra condemned what she called Cambodia's "act of aggression" along the Thai border.

"The current situation is no longer about diplomacy or negotiation," she said in one of them.

Thailand had earlier "made every effort to engage in diplomatic dialogue", she said, adding that she "fully supports all responsive actions" taken by Thai authorities.

Thailand's acting prime minister Phumtham Wechayachai on Friday warned that the conflict "could escalate into a state of war" - notable escalation of his rhetoric from Thursday, when he described the situation as a "clash".

The confrontation now involves heavy weapons, he added. Cambodia has meanwhile accused Thailand of using banned cluster munitions at a border area within Cambodian territory.

Thailand's foreign ministry said that it is against third-party mediation of its conflict with neighbour Cambodia. The chairman of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, had earlier offered to facilitate talks between the two countries.

The long-running dispute between Thailand and Cambodia dates back more than a century, when the borders of the two nations were drawn after the French occupation of Cambodia.

The conflict is rooted in a century-old dispute over the border, particularly around the Emerald Triangle, where the borders of Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos meet. The dispute has flared up periodically, with the most recent escalation following a landmine explosion that injured five Thai soldiers.

Things officially became hostile in 2008, when Cambodia tried to register an 11th Century temple located in the disputed area as a Unesco World Heritage Site - a move that was met with heated protest from Thailand.

Over the years there have been sporadic clashes that have seen soldiers and civilians killed on both sides.

The latest tensions ramped up in May after a Cambodian soldier was killed in a clash. This plunged bilateral ties to their lowest point in more than a decade.

In the past two months, both countries have imposed border restrictions on one another. They have each also strengthened troop presence along the border.

Brewing tensions erupted into a deadly battle at the border on Thursday, with Thailand and Cambodia each accusing the other of firing the first shots.

Several countries have warned against travelling to areas close to the Thai-Cambodian border in light of the ongoing clashes.

The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office specified the Preah Vihear, Ta Moan and Ta Krabey temples among places that have been in dispute between Thailand and Cambodia.

"Take extra care when traveling in this area, and follow the instructions of the local authorities," the office said.

Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and the US have also updated their travel advisories to urge travellers to avoid areas where troops are engaged in armed conflict.

Hong Kong and China have issued amber alerts, the lowest of three levels used for places with "signs of threat."

The US, China, Australia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations have all called for the fighting to stop.

The UN Secretary-General urged both sides to exercise restraint and resolve the issue through dialogue. Cambodia requested an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, which was held behind closed doors in New York.

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