TON Blockchain Rallies Behind Pavel Durov Following Arrest, Vows to Uphold Decentralization
The crypto community was caught off guard when Pavel Durov, founder of Telegram, was arrested. (Photo by Valya Egorshin/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
- TON Blockchain and Telegram strongly supported Pavel Durov and said they would continue fighting for freedom of speech.
- The Telegram founder’s arrest in France has sparked considerable uproar, with many prominent personalities rallying against it.
- Prominent figures like RFK Jr and Lex Fridman called Durov’s arrest an attack on free speech.
Following Pavel Durov’s unexpected arrest in France, the TON blockchain community issued a statement to address concerns.
In a bold show of solidarity, the TON blockchain assured users that the platform is fully operational and will continue to uphold its core values of freedom of speech and decentralization despite the uncertainty surrounding Durov’s detention.
Telegram Founder Arrested Over Lack of Censorship
Telegram’s billionaire co-founder Pavel Durov was arrested at Le Bourget airport outside Paris on Aug. 24, following an arrest warrant issued in France.
The French police allege that Telegram’s popular instant messaging platform lacks adequate moderation, fostering illegal activities such as money laundering, drug trafficking, and the spread of pedophilic content.
With over 900 million users worldwide, Telegram’s lack of moderation, high-level encryption, and limited oversight have made it a target of Western democracies.
Founded in 2013, the platform gained popularity for its encrypted messaging services, which allow absolute freedom of speech without data sharing restrictions.
Unlike other instant messaging applications, Telegram has refrained from implementing censorship measures, making it a hub for unregulated communication.
Crypto Community Questions Durov’s Arrest
Much like TON blockchain, the official Telegram account swiftly issued a statement in response to Pavel Durov’s arrest, emphasizing that the platform complies with EU laws, including the Digital Services Act.
The statement argued that it is unreasonable to hold the platform’s owner accountable for user-generated content, sparking a heated debate about online free speech and censorship.
Durov’s arrest also prompted responses from several well-known media personalities, especially those who are actively fighting for free speech on online forums.
Lex Fridman, a popular podcast host from Russia, called out French authorities and said the arrest is an attack on free speech and a threat not just to Telegram but to any online platform.
“Governments should not engage in censorship. This is a blatant and deeply troubling overreach of power,” Fridman expressed.
Others called out the hypocrisy of the West while pointing out that a platform like Meta (formerly Facebook) has made more violations than Telegram.
According to data from NSPCC, Child Abuse Images images per platform are dominated by the likes of Snapchat and Instagram. The top social media platforms with the highest percentage of child abuse images are:
- Snapchat 4,312 times (44%)
- Instagram 1,217 (12%)
- Facebook 852 (9%)
- WhatsApp 522 times (5%)
- Kik 494 (5%)
- TikTok 427 (4%)
- Twitter/X 294 (3%)
- YouTube 330 (3%)
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who recently vowed to withdraw from the Presidential elections, also called the arrest of the Telegram CEO unethical and said the need to “protect free speech has never been more urgent.”
Growing Trend of Authorities Going After Founders and Developers
Recently, there has been a growing trend of authorities going after the creators and developers of a platform rather than the actual culprit suspected of a crime.
The most recent case involved Tornado Cash founders and developers who were arrested and charged with money laundering using the privacy platform.
Similarly, the case of Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the infamous dark web marketplace Silk Road, was one of the early examples of authorities targeting the platform’s creator.
Ulbricht is currently serving two consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole. The crypto community has rallied behind the convicted Silkroad founder and argued that developers and creators of platforms shouldn’t face legal punishments harsher than criminals with violent track records.
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