DISINFO: EU bureaucracy colluding with the US Democratic party to impose total liberal censorship
SUMMARY
The fines have not helped the EU much so far, and they have no choice but to move on to “challenging” the owners of objectionable social media networks directly. Durov will face difficulties in this context. Musk hopes that if Donald Trump wins, he will have a “roof” protecting him in the White House. It will then be possible to launch a counterattack on the European bureaucracy, taking revenge on it for participating in a conspiracy with the Democratic Party to create total liberal censorship.
RESPONSE
The piece pushes conspiracy theory of EU institutions taking sides and meddling with the US internal politics. There is no evidence provided in support of the outlandish claim. Moreover, the piece includes Pro-Kremlin disinformation claim made around the arrest of the founder and director of the instant messaging platform Telegram Pavel Durov, who was arrested and taken into police custody on August 24, 2024 in France. This measure comes as part of a judicial investigation opened on July 8, 2024, following a preliminary investigation by the Paris prosecutor's office.
French authorities have charged Pavel Durov with 12 different crimes, including complicity in the distribution of child pornography and selling of drugs, money laundering, and a refusal to cooperate with law enforcement.
One of the main charges is Telegram’s inability to prevent sex crimes against minors on the platform. According to The Washington Post, Jean-Michel Bernigaud, secretary general of Ofmin (a French police agency focused on preventing violence against minors), stated that “at the heart of the case is the absence of moderation and cooperation on the part of the platform, especially in the fight against child sex crimes.”
There is nothing indicating that Durov’s arrest has anything to do with preventing the spread of information in Telegram, which at the time of the publication of this disinformation story continued operating normally. French President Emmanuel Macron has denied that this arrest had any political motivation and said that it is “part of an ongoing judicial investigation”.
Since 2023, other online platforms in France, though not Telegram, have agreed to comply with the Digital Services Act, making it easier for users to report inappropriate content. Social media platforms such as Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) are also implementing measures against disinformation.
The lack of moderation on Telegram has led to the spread of false information, fabrications, impersonations, and hate speech. These problems have affected Telegram more than other similar platforms, notes Le Monde. However, pro-Kremlin outlets widely describe this situation as an "absence of censorship" and true freedom of speech.
Refer to the communication by the French Prosecutor General for more details.
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