DISINFO: US behind arrest of Telegram app CEO Durov because he is a traditionalist
SUMMARY
The American trace is quite visible in the arrest of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov in France. This is a link in a chain of attacks on people with traditional values. Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson has been fired, liberals are slamming Donald Trump’s running mate, JD Vance, and the homes of Russian-American political analyst Dimitri Simes and US military analyst Scott Ritter have been searched. Durov’s arrest fits in this chain.
RESPONSE
Conspiracy theory. French authorities arrested Telegram CEO Pavel Durov on 24 August 2024 and charged him with 12 different crimes. These include complicity in the distribution of child pornography and selling of drugs, money laundering, and a refusal to cooperate with law enforcement.
There is no apparent connection between his arrest in France, the dismissal of former Fox News journalist Tucker Carlson, criticism of US vice presidential candidate JD Vance and legal procedures against Russian-American political analyst Dimitri Simes and US military analyst Scott Ritter.
One of the main charges is Telegram’s inability to prevent sex crimes against minors on the platform. The Washington Post quoted Jean-Michel Bernigaud, Secretary-General of Ofmin (a French police agency focused on preventing violence against minors), as saying that 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.”
French President Emmanuel Macron has denied that Durov’s arrest had any political motivation and said that it was “part of an ongoing judicial investigation”. Concerning Durov’s personal beliefs, he is far from being a traditionalist. He styles himself as a libertarian.
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