Rumble CEO Chris Pavlovski announced his departure from Europe following the arrest of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov. This incident has sparked widespread public interest and media discussion.
Arrest of Telegram CEO
On August 24, French officers arrested Telegram CEO Pavel Durov at Paris–Le Bourget Airport on a warrant issued by France’s judicial police based on a preliminary investigation. The investigation focuses on Telegram’s alleged failure to cooperate with law enforcement and lack of moderation for criminal activities on its platform, including child sexual abuse content, drug trafficking, fraud, and terrorism.
Chris Pavlovski’s Statements
Chris Pavlovski, the founder and CEO of Rumble, reported on social media that he left Europe following Durov’s arrest. He also claimed that France had 'threatened Rumble' and 'crossed a red line' after this incident. Pavlovski added that Rumble had previously faced demands to remove 'certain Russian news sources' and that they are legally challenging these demands.
Reactions of Rumble and Telegram
Rumble is a popular video-sharing platform with a more relaxed content moderation policy compared to major social media giants such as Meta and Google. Telegram, in turn, claims to comply with European Union laws and its moderation 'is within industry standards and constantly improving.' Telegram representatives added that Pavel Durov 'frequently travels in Europe' and that it is absurd to hold the platform or its owner responsible for misuse of that platform.
The reactions to Pavel Durov's arrest and the subsequent statements by Chris Pavlovski have yet to be fully evaluated, but the incident has already drawn significant public and media attention. Representatives of Telegram and Rumble continue to support their positions regarding content moderation and interaction with law enforcement authorities.
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