The perplexing political landscape of Telegram
Here are two significant reasons why the contentious app has emerged as a global point of contention.
TroibNews 
When Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, was arrested late Saturday at an airport near Paris on charges related to complicity in illegal online activities and refusing to provide information to authorities, right-leaning American political figures, including Tucker Carlson, Elon Musk, and Marjorie Taylor-Greene, rallied to his defense. Left-leaning civil liberties organizations also supported Telegram—up to a certain point.
Durov's arrest highlights the complex global status of Telegram, a messaging app characterized by its vast reach and commitment to free speech, which has attracted a shifting array of friends and foes within the political landscape. The app's multinational framework raises challenging questions regarding the enforcement of digital regulations in the age of social media.
Telegram's steadfast advocacy for radical free speech distinguishes it among global social platforms. Since its launch more than a decade ago by Durov, the enigmatic Russian entrepreneur has become a pivotal figure in the evolving global debate surrounding the extent of online communication freedom.
With an estimated user base of 950 million worldwide, Telegram enables individuals to broadcast messages to up to 200,000 recipients, granting it the influence akin to that of social media networks. However, in contrast to mainstream platforms, Telegram refrains from removing posts that violate local speech laws and refuses to share user data with any government authorities.
This stance has garnered support from digital rights organizations like Access Now, which have backed Telegram in its confrontations with authoritarian governments in countries such as Iran and Myanmar—as well as in Russia, where dissidents use its encrypted messaging to discuss topics such as the Ukraine war.
Nevertheless, this lack of moderation also allows users to disseminate disinformation and engage in illegal activities without significant corporate intervention, a situation that appears to have led to Durov's legal troubles. His arrest is part of an extensive judicial inquiry initiated by the cybercrime unit of the Paris Prosecutor’s Office on July 8, encompassing various offenses linked to activities permitted on Telegram, including fraud, money laundering, and the distribution of child sexual abuse material.
In response to the allegations, Telegram asserted that it adheres to all European laws, implying that neither the platform nor its founder should be held accountable for the misuse of its services.
Telegram's approach to moderation resonates with the views of Musk, the richest individual in the world and owner of X, along with several critics on the political right, who argue that social media firms have become too aligned with government interests—asserting that enforcement against harmful speech equates to state-sanctioned censorship. Venture capitalist and prominent Trump backer David Sacks remarked on X, “Are you getting sick of me saying ‘I told you so?’” referencing a prior prediction about Telegram being subjected to government action similar to the forced sale of TikTok.
Musk took the speculation further: “POV: It’s 2030 in Europe and you’re being executed for liking a meme,” he noted on his platform while sharing news of Durov’s arrest.
“Everyone on right-wing Silicon Valley Twitter is going crazy, and no one left of center cares or comments,” observed Marshall Kosloff, a media fellow at the right-leaning tech think tank the Foundation for American Innovation. “Telegram is anti-moderation — that makes it right-wing coded.”
The evolution of the notion of "free speech" from a traditionally liberal priority to one embraced by conservatives characterizes the past decade of political discourse. Prior to the rise of social media as a key medium for political communication, advocacy for free speech was primarily associated with organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union, which fought against book bans and championed religious freedom.
Today, conservatives have appropriated civil libertarian rhetoric to challenge what they perceive as liberal government interference in the ostensibly "neutral" online landscape. Musk himself has held previous Twitter executives accountable following his acquisition of the platform and the relaxation of its regulations.
However, in authoritarian contexts, Telegram’s refusal to moderate has also garnered it a degree of admiration from left-leaning civil society organizations, despite their recognition of the platform's shortcomings. “Civil society has had a complicated relationship with Telegram over the years,” acknowledged Natalia Krapiva, senior tech legal counsel at Access Now. “We have defended Telegram and its users against attempts by authoritarian regimes to block and coerce the platform into providing encryption keys, but we have also been raising alarms about Telegram’s lack of human rights policies, reliable communication channels, and remedies for its users.”
“Telegram fails on most measures of corporate responsibility including transparency and accountability,” Krapiva added.
The platform’s decentralized nature poses both policy and enforcement challenges alongside the political questions it raises.
Telegram’s operations are geographically dispersed and difficult to track, with its data servers reportedly scattered worldwide, yet their exact locations remain obscured. In 2017, Durov relocated to Dubai, relocating the platform’s development team with him. The app continues to be based in Dubai, where local IT regulations are more favorable than in other locations previously explored by the team.
The structure of Telegram complicates efforts by authorities in any country to identify the platform’s core development team or to access user data and operational information. Durov, the most prominent member of Telegram’s development team, has stated that he holds both French and Russian citizenship. Ultimately, Durov was arrested by investigators from the French customs department at the Paris-Le Bourget Airport.
It remains unclear whether the U.S. government is aiding its French counterparts in the investigation. A spokesperson for the FBI declined to comment, and inquiries to officials at the State Department and the French Embassy in Washington went unanswered.
Chris Krebs, the former director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, remarked on Monday that there is “no legitimate defense of a platform that allows” content such as child sexual abuse imagery, which researchers indicate has been traded on private Telegram channels.
“In liberal democracies, we make laws, and there are some things that are, of course, not permissible,” Krebs stated. “There are curbs that governments can put in place and the French government has taken action here. I wonder why the guy felt comfortable going to Paris, given some of the scrutiny.”
Brendan Bordelon contributed to this report.
Ian Smith contributed to this report for TROIB News
Durov's arrest highlights the complex global status of Telegram, a messaging app characterized by its vast reach and commitment to free speech, which has attracted a shifting array of friends and foes within the political landscape. The app's multinational framework raises challenging questions regarding the enforcement of digital regulations in the age of social media.
Telegram's steadfast advocacy for radical free speech distinguishes it among global social platforms. Since its launch more than a decade ago by Durov, the enigmatic Russian entrepreneur has become a pivotal figure in the evolving global debate surrounding the extent of online communication freedom.
With an estimated user base of 950 million worldwide, Telegram enables individuals to broadcast messages to up to 200,000 recipients, granting it the influence akin to that of social media networks. However, in contrast to mainstream platforms, Telegram refrains from removing posts that violate local speech laws and refuses to share user data with any government authorities.
This stance has garnered support from digital rights organizations like Access Now, which have backed Telegram in its confrontations with authoritarian governments in countries such as Iran and Myanmar—as well as in Russia, where dissidents use its encrypted messaging to discuss topics such as the Ukraine war.
Nevertheless, this lack of moderation also allows users to disseminate disinformation and engage in illegal activities without significant corporate intervention, a situation that appears to have led to Durov's legal troubles. His arrest is part of an extensive judicial inquiry initiated by the cybercrime unit of the Paris Prosecutor’s Office on July 8, encompassing various offenses linked to activities permitted on Telegram, including fraud, money laundering, and the distribution of child sexual abuse material.
In response to the allegations, Telegram asserted that it adheres to all European laws, implying that neither the platform nor its founder should be held accountable for the misuse of its services.
Telegram's approach to moderation resonates with the views of Musk, the richest individual in the world and owner of X, along with several critics on the political right, who argue that social media firms have become too aligned with government interests—asserting that enforcement against harmful speech equates to state-sanctioned censorship. Venture capitalist and prominent Trump backer David Sacks remarked on X, “Are you getting sick of me saying ‘I told you so?’” referencing a prior prediction about Telegram being subjected to government action similar to the forced sale of TikTok.
Musk took the speculation further: “POV: It’s 2030 in Europe and you’re being executed for liking a meme,” he noted on his platform while sharing news of Durov’s arrest.
“Everyone on right-wing Silicon Valley Twitter is going crazy, and no one left of center cares or comments,” observed Marshall Kosloff, a media fellow at the right-leaning tech think tank the Foundation for American Innovation. “Telegram is anti-moderation — that makes it right-wing coded.”
The evolution of the notion of "free speech" from a traditionally liberal priority to one embraced by conservatives characterizes the past decade of political discourse. Prior to the rise of social media as a key medium for political communication, advocacy for free speech was primarily associated with organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union, which fought against book bans and championed religious freedom.
Today, conservatives have appropriated civil libertarian rhetoric to challenge what they perceive as liberal government interference in the ostensibly "neutral" online landscape. Musk himself has held previous Twitter executives accountable following his acquisition of the platform and the relaxation of its regulations.
However, in authoritarian contexts, Telegram’s refusal to moderate has also garnered it a degree of admiration from left-leaning civil society organizations, despite their recognition of the platform's shortcomings. “Civil society has had a complicated relationship with Telegram over the years,” acknowledged Natalia Krapiva, senior tech legal counsel at Access Now. “We have defended Telegram and its users against attempts by authoritarian regimes to block and coerce the platform into providing encryption keys, but we have also been raising alarms about Telegram’s lack of human rights policies, reliable communication channels, and remedies for its users.”
“Telegram fails on most measures of corporate responsibility including transparency and accountability,” Krapiva added.
The platform’s decentralized nature poses both policy and enforcement challenges alongside the political questions it raises.
Telegram’s operations are geographically dispersed and difficult to track, with its data servers reportedly scattered worldwide, yet their exact locations remain obscured. In 2017, Durov relocated to Dubai, relocating the platform’s development team with him. The app continues to be based in Dubai, where local IT regulations are more favorable than in other locations previously explored by the team.
The structure of Telegram complicates efforts by authorities in any country to identify the platform’s core development team or to access user data and operational information. Durov, the most prominent member of Telegram’s development team, has stated that he holds both French and Russian citizenship. Ultimately, Durov was arrested by investigators from the French customs department at the Paris-Le Bourget Airport.
It remains unclear whether the U.S. government is aiding its French counterparts in the investigation. A spokesperson for the FBI declined to comment, and inquiries to officials at the State Department and the French Embassy in Washington went unanswered.
Chris Krebs, the former director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, remarked on Monday that there is “no legitimate defense of a platform that allows” content such as child sexual abuse imagery, which researchers indicate has been traded on private Telegram channels.
“In liberal democracies, we make laws, and there are some things that are, of course, not permissible,” Krebs stated. “There are curbs that governments can put in place and the French government has taken action here. I wonder why the guy felt comfortable going to Paris, given some of the scrutiny.”
Brendan Bordelon contributed to this report.
Ian Smith contributed to this report for TROIB News
