Why was Pavel Durov arrested, and where is the boundary between freedom of speech and security?
On Saturday evening, August 24, at Le Bourget airport in Paris, Air Transport Gendarmerie officers detained and placed in an airport immigration prison the billionaire and founder of the Telegram messenger, Pavel Durov, at the steps of a business jet that had arrived from Azerbaijan.
A source in French law enforcement told TF1 channel that Durov was detained for refusing to cooperate with French security forces and may face charges related to terrorism, drugs, fraud, money laundering, selling stolen goods, and sexualized crimes against children. All this is due to the lack of moderation on Telegram, as well as the messenger administration's refusal to cooperate with authorities and the use of cryptocurrencies and disposable numbers. French law enforcement considers Durov an accomplice in crimes committed using Telegram. The TF1 source said: "The goal is to stir up the anthill, make an impression, and scare off criminals who are now freely coordinating on Telegram."
"This is by no means a political decision," said French President Emmanuel Macron. Reuters, citing a French police spokesperson, reported that Durov is accused of being complacent towards financial and cybercrime committed through Telegram.
According to a press release from the French prosecutor's office, the investigation is being conducted on 12 counts of crimes: complicity in illegal transactions of criminal groups, refusal to assist investigations, complicity in storing and providing access to child pornography, complicity in drug distribution, cybercrimes, organized fraud, criminal conspiracy to commit a crime or offense, money laundering, illegal provision of cryptographic services and tools.
The detention immediately triggered a chain reaction around the world: the price of the Toncoin cryptocurrency issued by Telegram fell by 20%, the Russian embassy in France demanded that diplomats be allowed access to the detainee, in Russia authorities ordered officials and businessmen to delete official correspondence in the messenger, in Moscow protesters who came out to support Durov were detained, Elon Musk, Edward Snowden, Tucker Carlson, Dmitry Medvedev, and main Russian propagandists who had recently unanimously attacked him spoke out in his defense. In media and social networks, there's a discussion: Whose side is Pavel Durov on? Is he for freedom of speech? Or does he actually support authoritarian regimes? Is he with the opposition? Is he a hero or a villain? And finally, where is the boundary of freedom, what is the price of security, and how should international platforms function in the realities of the 21st century?
We discuss this in the program "Full Albats" with our guests:
Writer Nikolai V. Kononov, author of the documentary book "Durov's Code. The Real Story of VKontakte and Its Creator" about the youth and formation of the billionaire
Cyber lawyer Sarkis Darbinyan, chief lawyer and co-founder of Roskomsvoboda
Music: Lee Rosevere - Sad Marimba Planet, Free Music Archive, (CC BY)
00:00 - 02:08 Opening. Where can you watch us?
02:08 - 03:28 Putin is deliberately destroying Ukraine
03:28 - 10:25 What Pavel Durov is accused of and why
10:25 - 13:52 Three different views on Durov's case
13:52 - 22:41 Durov loves public fights, scandals, challenges, and conflicts
22:41 - 24:45 The likelihood of an agreement between Durov and law enforcement
24:45 - 31:07 Why did Russian authorities panic over Durov's arrest?
31:07 - 38:36 Telegram has long faced numerous complaints worldwide
38:36 - 42:25 Does Putin have a reason to kill Durov?
42:25 - 50:00 Is Telegram harder to slow down than YouTube?
50:00 - 52:14 Propagandists tell tales about Telegram in war
52:14 - 56:43 How to control large platforms at the public level?
56:43 - 01:04:14 Why is Telegram allowed to operate?
01:04:14 - 01:09:11 Durov sees himself as a leader of pirates
01:09:11 - 01:11:53 All Big Tech removes information unwanted by the state
01:11:53 - 01:18:24 What's next? Agreement and adaptation
01:18:24 - 01:21:15 The dilemma of the 21st century: freedom of speech or security
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