Elon Musk Backs Telegram’s Pavel Durov for Upholding Free Speech

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As a seasoned crypto investor with a keen eye for tech trends and a passion for free speech, I find myself deeply concerned about the recent events unfolding across the globe. The arrest of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has sent shockwaves through the industry, and it’s alarming to see such intimidation tactics being used against those who dare to uphold our fundamental rights to privacy and freedom of expression.

After the weekend arrest of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov, tech mogul Elon Musk voiced his support for Durov, extolling him for championing free speech amidst governmental attempts at censorship. Notably, defending free speech has been a longstanding priority for Musk, and this principle was a significant factor in his acquisition of Twitter last October.

Elon Musk’s Support to Telegram CEO

Several key figures within the industry have voiced their backing for Telegram’s CEO, Pavel Durov, after his detainment due to accusations that illegal and criminal activities were permitted on the Telegram messaging platform. This arrest has subsequently caused a drop in Toncoin‘s value, with its price now standing at $5.69, representing a 16.33% decrease from its previous level, as of the most recent reporting.

Elon Musk recently brought up an old interview between Russian tech entrepreneur Pavel Durov and American journalist Tucker Carlson. In this conversation, Durov detailed the aggressive strategies employed by the U.S. Government and FBI to recruit one of Telegram’s engineers, with the aim of granting them secret access to the messaging platform. According to Durov, these officials attempted to convince the engineer to incorporate open-source tools into Telegram, thus creating a backdoor for themselves.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 25, 2024

So far, Elon Musk and other tech industry figures have been vocal about their support for Durov, whereas Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s founder, has kept quiet on this issue. In response to a tweet suggesting that authorities should arrest Zuckerberg due to Instagram enabling child predator accounts, Musk expressed his opinion by saying:

“Since he’s yielded to the demands of censorship, it’s concerning that Instagram, despite having a significant issue with child exploitation, hasn’t led to any arrests for Zuckerberg. Instead, he restricts free speech and grants governments unauthorized access to users’ personal data.”

Ethereum’s Vitalik Buterin Backs Durov

Vitalik Buterin, a co-founder of Ethereum, has supported Telegram’s CEO by stating that Durov was previously barred due to his lack of commitment towards encryption. He further mentioned that the allegations against Durov are unregulated and raise serious concerns about the future of software and communication liberty in Europe.

One user on the X platform argued that while popular messaging apps like WhatsApp and iMessage offer end-to-end encryption, they still allow government access through backdoors. In response to this claim, Vitalik Buterin emphasized the importance of open source technology and verifying security features as a means of protection, due to his advocacy for decentralized technologies such as Ethereum, which is actively working towards these goals.

Certain market experts believe Elon Musk’s company X and video platform Rumble could be future focus areas for government scrutiny. Chris Pavlovski, head of Rumble, expressed that France has overstepped boundaries, prompting him to leave Europe. In a post on the X platform, Pavlovski communicated this decision.

“I’m coming into the conversation a bit later than usual, but with a valid excuse – I’ve just left Europe safely. Recently, France has been making threats towards Rumble, and they have gone too far by apprehending Telegram’s CEO, Pavel Durov, allegedly for failing to restrict speech. Rumble finds this action unacceptable and will employ every legal resource at our disposal to defend freedom of expression, a fundamental human right. At present, we are engaged in court battles in France, and we eagerly await the release of Pavel Durov.”

1. If China prohibits Rumble, we depart.

France arrests Telegram CEO

Free speech is under major assault and I will not stop fighting for it.

— Chris Pavlovski (@chrispavlovski) August 25, 2024

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2024-08-25 18:52