Pavel Durov’s Arrest: Intel Agency Intrigue?
On August 24, 2024 Pavel Durov—founder of encrypted free speech platform Telegram— was arrested in France on criminal charges relating to an alleged lack of content moderation on Telegram and refusal to work with police, which allowed the alleged spread of criminal activity. Durov holds French citizenship and was arrested at Le Bourget Airport in Paris while on a refueling stop in his private plane. I find this an intriguing detail, as it suggests he did NOT know that French authorities were deeply unsatisfied with his purported lack of cooperation with their purported criminal investigation of Telegram users.
On the face of it, it’s hard to imagine how Pavel could maintain an encrypted free speech platform while at the same time making it readily accessible to state authorities. In none of the (characteristically superficial) reporting I’ve seen on Pavel’s arrest in the mainstream media have I seen any mention of French police obtaining a wiretap warrant from a French judge to access a Telegram user’s account.
A recent report in Politico states that arrest warrants for Pavel and his brother Nikolai were issued on March 25. Does this mean that Pavel and his brother were NOT informed they they would be arrested if they did not honor a wiretap warrant? The Politico report touches on this question, but doesn’t clarify it.
The arrest warrants were
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