Following the arrest of Pavel Durov, the CEO of Telegram, the founder and CEO of Rumble discussed his departure from Europe and commented on the incident.
Pavel Durov's Detention
According to several news sources, French officials detained Durov, a French citizen born in Russia, at Paris-Le Bourget Airport on August 24. The warrant was issued by the judicial police after a preliminary investigation. The police inquiry is centered on allegations that Telegram did not cooperate with law enforcement and did not moderate content that included child sexual abuse, drug trafficking, fraud, and terrorism.
Rumble CEO's Statement
Rumble's founder and CEO, Chris Pavlovski, shared that he safely returned from Europe on August 25 and expressed concerns regarding Durov's detention. Pavlovski stated that by detaining Durov, France had crossed a red line and threatened free speech. Rumble intends to appeal the French government’s request to ban 'certain Russian news sources' in November 2022, but the company still restricted access to the platform for French users.
Rumble's Next Steps
Pavlovski reported that in May, Russia blocked access to Rumble due to the company’s refusal to comply with their censorship requests. The Rumble CEO expressed hope for Pavel Durov’s quick release and mentioned they are now battling in French courts. Pavlovski remained tight-lipped about his current location and the nation he had departed from.
The situation regarding Pavel Durov's arrest and Chris Pavlovski's reaction highlights the ongoing struggle for freedom of speech and against censorship. The public will continue to closely monitor developments.
Comments