Submission Statement: “Locked up in a French detention center since August 24, the Telegram billionaire is being questioned about the extremists and criminals using his platform.” Andrei Soldatov and Irina Borogan discuss the recent detention of Telegram founder Pavel Durov in France and argue that it marks the end of unchecked power and immunity for tech titans. This is not Durov’s first clash with governments, as he previously sparred with Russian authorities over privacy and censorship issues with VKontakte. While Telegram aimed to promote open communications, it also provided a platform for extremism, leading to clashes with multiple governments and new regulations curbing the free-for-all online environment. Durov’s hands-off approach is seen as unsustainable, and his arrest suggests authorities now have tools to pressure even prominent tech founders to cooperate.
Governments desire control over the mass media, because they give you power over what people think. And if you are someone who can give them that power, it is very naive to believe that civil rights will always save you, even in democratic countries.
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Submission Statement: “Locked up in a French detention center since August 24, the Telegram billionaire is being questioned about the extremists and criminals using his platform.” Andrei Soldatov and Irina Borogan discuss the recent detention of Telegram founder Pavel Durov in France and argue that it marks the end of unchecked power and immunity for tech titans. This is not Durov’s first clash with governments, as he previously sparred with Russian authorities over privacy and censorship issues with VKontakte. While Telegram aimed to promote open communications, it also provided a platform for extremism, leading to clashes with multiple governments and new regulations curbing the free-for-all online environment. Durov’s hands-off approach is seen as unsustainable, and his arrest suggests authorities now have tools to pressure even prominent tech founders to cooperate.
Governments desire control over the mass media, because they give you power over what people think. And if you are someone who can give them that power, it is very naive to believe that civil rights will always save you, even in democratic countries.
The world goes back 60 years