LE BOURGET, France (TND) — The French government is facing criticism from free speech advocates after the founder and CEO of the instant messaging platform Telegram was arrested at an airport near Paris over the weekend.
Pavel Durov, a Russian-born tech mogul, was detained at Paris–Le Bourget Airport on Saturday evening. Durov had been the target of an arrest warrant issued by OFMIN, a French government office focused on combatting child sex abuse.
OFMIN Secretary General Jean-Michel Bernigaud wrote on social media Monday the investigation into Durov is focused on Telegram's "lack of moderation and cooperation," particularly in regard to what he called "pédocriminalité," translated to mean "crimes against children."
Former U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., who ended his campaign Friday and backed former President Donald Trump, wrote on social media that Durov's arrest shows the need to protect free speech has "never been more urgent."
X owner Elon Musk has been perhaps the most vocal critic of the arrest, writing "#FreePavel" and warning about the implications of the French government's actions.
"Check out this ad for the First Amendment. It is very convincing," Musk said when news broke of Durov's arrest.
Telegram released a statement Sunday denouncing the arrest, calling it "absurd" to claim the owner of a platform is personally responsible for abuse carried out by users.
"Telegram abides by EU laws, including the Digital Services Act — its moderation is within industry standards and constantly improving," the statement reads.
In response to global pushback, French President Emmanuel Macron said Monday outrage over the arrest is being fueled by "false information."
"The arrest of the president of Telegram on French soil took place as part of an ongoing judicial investigation. It is in no way a political decision. It is up to the judges to rule on the matter," Macron said.
Social media and messaging platforms have long faced scrutiny from lawmakers over content moderation. In the U.S., Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act protects social media platforms from most lawsuits related to users' posts.
A bipartisan group of lawmakers took aim at several social media executives in February over child sexual exploitation, with Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., calling to change Section 230 to better hold platforms accountable and prevent online abuse.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., went a step further, telling Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg "you have blood on your hands."
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