Elon Musk and Others React
The arrest of Durov has not gone unnoticed by prominent figures in the tech industry. Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of the social media platform X and a self-proclaimed “free speech absolutist,” took to social media to express his support for Durov. Musk posted “#freePavel” following the news of the arrest.
Russian government officials have expressed outrage over his detention. Officials at the Russian Embassy in Paris have requested access to Durov.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova noted that French authorities view Durov’s French citizenship as his primary one. Some officials have accused the West of holding a double standard on freedom of speech.
In a statement to the Associated Press earlier this month, Telegram emphasized its commitment to combating the misuse of its platform.
The company highlighted that its moderators use a combination of proactive monitoring and user reports to remove content that violates Telegram’s terms of service. Each day, millions of pieces of harmful content are removed, according to the company.
