The battle between power and privacy has never been more intense.
With the arrest of Telegram founder Pavel Durov in France, the global cryptocurrency and technology community has set off an unprecedented public opinion storm. Durovs fate is not only a personal legal dispute, but also a concentrated manifestation of the global conflict between privacy protection, decentralized technology and state power. Top Wall Street entrepreneurs, technology leaders and crypto industry experts have come forward to support Pavel Durov. What kind of complex picture is hidden behind this battle between freedom and control?
Paper airplane protest near the French Embassy in Moscow
BlockBeats sorted out the widespread reactions to Pavel Durovs arrest and interpreted the views and positions of all parties.
The tragedy of social platforms, privacy, and free speech
David O. Sacks, former COO of PayPal
David O. Sacks is the former COO of PayPal and is considered a key member of the PayPal Mafia, a group of PayPal founders and early employees that drove the resurgence of consumer-focused Web 2.0 companies after the dot-com bubble burst in 2001. Sacks and his peers are often seen as a source of inspiration and driving innovation in the modern technology industry.
On social media, David used a picture to express the different situations of several other major social media platforms. One down. Three to go. seems to imply that the West is wiping out the other three.
Davids picture obviously also describes the situation of several other social media platforms. Musk and Rumble CEO have both spoken out.
Musk has spoken out many times
This is First Amendment propaganda. Its 2030 in Europe and youre being executed for liking a meme, Musk pointed out sarcastically.
After Pavel Durov was arrested, Musk repeatedly used the hashtag #FreePavel on social media to support Pavel Durov. In a video he released, Pavel Durov said, Musks acquisition of X has made speech more free, which is a great progress. Humanity needs more social media like X and Telegram that protect freedom of speech.
Musks support reinforced his stance in support of free speech and tied it to Durovs cause, emphasizing their common goal in defending free speech. After all, Its Telegram today. Itll be X tomorrow.
Rumble CEO Chris Pavlovski
Durovs career is not only linked to Musk, but also to Canadian short video sharing platform Rumble. After Durov was arrested, Rumbles CEO Chris Pavlovski left Europe at full speed and expressed strong dissatisfaction with the French governments actions.
“France threatened Rumble, and now they have crossed a red line by arresting Telegram CEO Pavel Durov, apparently for refusing to censor speech. Rumble will not tolerate this behavior, and we will use all available legal means to defend free speech, which is a universal human right. We are currently fighting in the French courts and hope that Pavel Durov will be released immediately.”
Pavlovskis statement indicates that Rumble will firmly support Durov and challenge the French governments actions through legal means to safeguard freedom of speech worldwide.
Zcash founder zooko
Perhaps because he has his own unique insights on the privacy issue, the founder of the privacy cryptocurrency Zcash expressed a completely different view on the arrest of Pavel Durov. He expressed dissatisfaction with many people viewing Durov as an oppressed hero, pointed out that there are serious problems with the Telegram platform, and questioned Durovs motives and the true purpose of Telegram.
“I really don’t like speculating about the struggles between these spies, but it really bothers me to see my fellow spies (Balaji, Vitalik, Roman Storm, Noelle Acheson, Josh Swihart) treating Pavel Durov like an oppressed hero. Consider the following facts:
1. Telegram is built on lies. Its entire brand is freedom, but in reality, it is structured so that all users are monitored and controlled by Durov without them knowing it.
2. Durov was not “caught by the police.” He deliberately flew to France, knowing that there was a warrant waiting for his arrest.
3. Some articles provide sufficient reason to believe that Durov reached an agreement with Putin in June 2020 to hand over some Telegram users to Putin.
So, I hate censorship as much as you do, but when I see you defending Durov, I feel like you’re being played. This isn’t about censorship, this is about a fight between spies. Telegram isn’t a censorship-resistant platform (like Signal or Zcash), it’s a weapon. Because giving people the illusion that they have privacy while actually spying on them is power over them, and states want that power.”
Anton Gerashchenko, adviser to the Ukrainian Minister of Internal Affairs
Similar to the remarks of Zcash founder zooko, Anton Gerashchenko, adviser to the Ukrainian Minister of Internal Affairs, also believes that this incident is not just about Durov, but involves a larger geopolitical context and the complex situation of information warfare:
“Durov knew he was on the wanted list, but he went to Paris anyway. This looks like a conscious surrender to justice, or someone convinced him that everything would be fine. However, his motives are unclear. There are two possible scenarios: one is a Russian conspiracy in which Durov played the role of a ‘kamikaze’, or the other is that he cooperated with the West against Russia. But until we know his motives, these are just speculations.”
Gerashchenko also pointed out that the background of Durovs arrest is closely related to Russias actions in Baku and its intention to control Telegram. He believes that Durov may have negotiated with the Kremlin, and it may even involve the transfer of control of Telegram, but everything is unclear at present. Gerashchenko emphasized that Telegram plays an important role in global information warfare, especially in the post-Soviet region and other countries around the world.
Edward Snowden
Edward Snowden is also one of the six founders of the privacy cryptocurrency Zcash, but he has a completely different opinion from Zooko. Because of his own experience and as a well-known privacy advocate, Snowden expressed strong dissatisfaction with Durovs arrest and spoke out for him on social media:
The arrest of Pavel Durov is an attack on fundamental human rights, especially freedom of expression and association. I am shocked and saddened that Macron would resort to hostage-taking to gain access to private communications. This is not only a disgrace to France, but also to the entire world.
Is Durov a victim of international political games?
In addition to the voices of the business community, government officials have also expressed their own different positions, but more seem to be blaming each other for the different ideologies between countries through the arrest of Durov.
Davankov, deputy chairman of the Russian State Duma
The most anxious government at the moment may be Russia. Deputy Chairman of the Russian State Duma Davankov expressed great concern about Durovs arrest and called on the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to take action to rescue the founder of Telegram. He sent a formal request to Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov in the early morning of August 25, urging the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to intervene in the matter. The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs later stated that the Russian Embassy in France has taken necessary measures to actively understand Durovs situation.
Davankovs call reflects the seriousness with which Russian officials are treating the arrest of Durov, who holds multiple nationalities, including Russian, French and UAE. It is reported that because Durov is a French citizen, he will not be exchanged or extradited to other countries, which adds to the complexity of the incident.
Ekaterina Mizulina, head of the Russian Alliance for a Secure Internet
For example, Ekaterina Mizulina, head of the Russian Alliance for a Secure Internet, wrote on her Telegram channel that Durov’s arrest in France was a request from the United States:
“I have long believed that the head of Telegram is dangerous outside of Russia and could be arrested at any time. Similar situations have happened before at the request of the United States. I thought that no one took law enforcement action against Durov because he might have cooperated with Western intelligence agencies, but recent news shows that everything seems different.”
Mizulina also mentioned that the arrest may be an attempt to crack down on the cryptocurrency Toncoin circulating on Telegram and continue the US sanctions policy. Her comments suggest that Durov’s arrest may involve deeper international political and economic games.
Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council
Dmitry Medvedev, former Russian president and current deputy chairman of the Russian Federation Security Council, has similar views to other Russian government officials, but his expression is more direct, believing that entrepreneurs who choose to betray their motherland have miscalculated.
I asked Durov a long time ago why he was unwilling to cooperate with law enforcement agencies in the case of serious crimes. He replied that this was my principled position. But I told him that this would lead to serious problems in any country, he wrote on Telegram.
“He decided that his biggest problem was being in Russia, so he left and then got citizenship or a residence permit in another country. He wanted to be a great world citizen, to live well without a motherland. As the Latin proverb says: Ubi beneibi patria! Wherever you live well, that is your motherland.”
But he miscalculated. For all the enemies we now face together, he is Russian, therefore unpredictable and dangerous, and he has different blood. He is not Musk or Zuckerberg (who, by the way, actively cooperate with the FBI). He should finally understand that the motherland, like the times, cannot be chosen... Medvedev wrote.
Weibo CEO Wang Gaofei
Medvedevs words may not have affected Pavel Durov, but they seemed to resonate with Weibo CEO Wang Gaofei, who quoted the passage on Weibo: In the eyes of the common enemy, Pavel Durov is Russian.
Presidential Candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. expressed his concern about Durov’s arrest on social media. He noted: “France has just arrested Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of Telegram, a platform known for its encryption and uncensorable nature. The need to protect free speech has never been more urgent.”
Mike Benz, former U.S. State Department official
Unlike Robert Jr., more American officials who have spoken out on the matter, especially former American officials, do not agree that the United States is completely innocent.
Mike Benz, a former US State Department official, has a different interpretation of Pavel Durovs arrest. He believes that this is the result of cooperation between the US government and France and is part of the international political game. He suggests that the US government is trying to control the Telegram platform in this way and warn the public about the security issues of other communication platforms:
The US State Department played a role in the arrest of Telegram founder Pavel Durov, and I urge Congress to subpoena all relevant communication records. Benz believes this is a means for the United States to put pressure on Durov to force him to allow monitoring of Telegram. He also warned that WhatsApp has been compromised and your speech there is not safe.
Larry Johnson, former CIA analyst
Former CIA analyst Larry Johnson also commented on Durov’s arrest. He suggested that there may be more complex political motives behind Durov’s arrest, especially when it comes to tensions between Western countries and Russia, and believed that the charges against Durov were a fabricated political case:
“Telegram is one of the few information channels that actually allows criticism of Western policies. I think that’s really the root of the problem. There was a time when he was considered to have a good relationship with French President Emmanuel Macron, but that’s obviously over because this arrest would not have happened without Macron’s knowledge and approval.”
Darkness is rapidly descending on the free world
Tucker Carlson
Tucker Carlson, a well-known American conservative political journalist and commentator, interviewed Pavel Durov after launching his own program Tucker on X on Twitter, so his comments also received great attention. He mentioned in his Twitter comments:
“Pavel Durov left Russia as the Russian government sought to take control of his social media company, Telegram. But in the end, it was not Putin who arrested him, but a Western country — an ally of the Biden administration and an ardent NATO member. Pavel Durov’s imprisonment in a French jail tonight is a living warning to any platform owner who refuses to censor the truth as governments and intelligence agencies wish. The darkness is rapidly descending on the free world.”
Lex Fridman, Russian-American computer scientist and podcaster
Lex Fridman is a well-known Russian-American computer scientist and podcast host, whose podcast has attracted celebrities including Musk, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, and Zuckerberg as guests. After Pavel Durov was arrested, Fridman spoke out on social media, expressing his deep concern about the threat to free speech:
The arrest of Pavel Durov is a disturbing attack on free expression that threatens not only Telegram but all online platforms. Governments should not engage in censorship, and this is a blatant abuse of power and a deeply troubling overreach. Fridmans remarks emphasized his opposition to excessive government intervention and censorship, calling for the protection of the freedom and independence of online platforms.
This is yet another battle in the struggle between the internet and the state
The crypto industry has been remarkably united over the arrest of Pavel Durov. Comments from Ran Neuner, Balaji Srinivasan, Vitalik Buterin, Roman Storm, Noelle Acheson, and others reflect not only their support for Durov personally, but also their deep concern for privacy protection and free speech around the world.
Well-known investor Balaji
Pavel Durov defended the privacy of Ukrainians against the Russian government. But his reward was imprisonment in France. Balaji Srinivasan, former CTO of Coinbase and well-known investor, sharply criticized the French governments handling of Durovs arrest. He believes that the French government is not really concerned about public safety or fighting crime, but is trying to strengthen control over the flow of information through this means.
“France doesn’t care about crime, they care about control. It’s totally unreasonable for Macron, who hasn’t been able to eliminate crime among 70 million French people, to expect Durov to manage 1 billion Telegram users with his meager content moderation power,” Balaji said.
He further pointed out that Frances policies are full of contradictions, allowing violent crime, terrorism and drug trafficking to run rampant in France, but taking extreme action against Telegrams CEO. He called the French governments approach an anarchic dictatorship and questioned: Is Macron responsible for every murder and robbery that occurs in France? Was he arrested while abroad for failing to govern his country strictly enough?
Balajis remarks are not only a criticism of the French government, but also a profound reflection on how decentralized networks around the world can cope with state power oppression. This is another battle between the network and the state. Can failed states stop the decentralized network? I hope not. But they will continue to escalate through this show trial.
Ethereum founder Vitalik
Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin also expressed concern about Durovs arrest. As a tech leader who has also renounced his Russian identity, Vitalik has criticized Telegrams encryption practices, but in the current situation, he is more worried about the future of software and communication freedom in Europe.
Vitalik said: I have previously criticized Telegram for not taking encryption seriously. But (given the information currently available), the situation looks very bad and is worrying for the future of software and communication freedom in Europe. He particularly emphasized the importance of open source software and formal verification of security properties to ensure the protection of user privacy and data. These technical measures are particularly critical in the current global regulatory environment because they can provide users with stronger protection from excessive intervention by countries and institutions.
Vitalik’s comments highlight the tension between decentralized technologies and state regulation. He believes that only through open source and formal security verification can users be guaranteed the safety and freedom when using these technologies.
Roman Storm, founder of Tornado Cash
Roman Storm, the founder of Tornado Cash, is facing a similar situation as Pavel Durov. Tornado Cash is a decentralized privacy-preserving protocol based on Ethereum that allows users to conduct anonymous transactions on the chain, which has attracted the attention of regulators because it could be used for illegal activities such as money laundering and circumventing sanctions.
In August 2022, the U.S. Treasury Departments Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced sanctions against Tornado Cash. Roman Storm was arrested in the United States on charges of assisting in illegal money laundering due to Tornado Cash. The government believed that he was responsible for the illegal use of the platform.
The sanction has sparked a backlash from the crypto community, with many arguing that it violates privacy rights and limits the development of blockchain technology. Supporters argue that Tornado Cashs technology is essential for legitimate users who want to protect financial privacy. However, critics point out that the technology is designed to prevent abuse.
After Pavel Durov was arrested in France over Telegram’s privacy and encryption features, Roman Storm’s Twitter account also retweeted several messages of support.
Noelle Acheson
Noelle Acheson, a senior analyst in the crypto industry, published an in-depth commentary exploring the complex factors behind Durov’s arrest. She believes that Durov’s arrest is not just about censorship or free speech, but also about the deep challenges of responsibility and privacy.
Acheson noted that French authorities appear to be more concerned with Telegram’s lack of content moderation than the speech on the platform itself. “French law enforcement appears to believe that Telegram’s refusal to accept oversight makes it liable for criminal activity within the app, which means the issue is not censorship, but responsibility,” she explained.
She further mentioned that the current global erosion of privacy and escalating government control over information is eroding public trust in government, and warned that this trend could lead to greater social problems, especially when privacy rights and civil liberties continue to be undermined.
Jupiter co-founder Meow
Jupiter co-founder Meow expressed his views on Durovs arrest through social media, calling it a collateral damage incident, and further called for the world to need a decentralized power structure to resist compromise with centralized financial power.
Franklin Bi, Partner at Pantera Capital
In addition, Pantera Capital partner Franklin Bi also expressed his support for Durov through a short tweet, posting the hashtag #FreePavel to show his solidarity.
