The arrest of Telegram founder Pavel Durov in France has sparked outrage among tech executives and free speech advocates alike. Chris Pavlovski, CEO of video-sharing platform Rumble, publicly expressed his disapproval, stating that the move by French authorities “crossed a red line” and left Europe immediately after the news broke.
Durov was taken into custody at Paris airport on Saturday evening following his arrival from Azerbaijan aboard a private jet. While French authorities have yet to publicly announce the reason behind his detention, reports suggest that the charges are related to alleged involvement in drug trafficking, pedophilia offenses, fraud, and failure to address criminal activity on the messaging platform.
Telegram has denied any wrongdoing and described the accusations as “absurd,” emphasizing that it is not responsible for users’ misuse of its services. In a statement made on X (formerly Twitter), Pavlovski expressed support for Durov, vowing to take legal action in France to ensure his immediate release and defend freedom of expression, a universal human right.
The situation has drawn parallels to Rumble’s own ongoing legal battle with French authorities, which began in November 2022 when officials in Paris banned the platform for refusing to remove Russian media accounts blocked in the EU due to sanctions over the Ukraine conflict. Some opinion leaders, such as American entrepreneur David Sacks, have even suggested that the US government may be behind the move against Durov, given recent developments involving video-sharing platform TikTok and its potential ban if the Chinese developer refuses to sell it within 12 months.