Tech Billionaire, Elon Musk, Condemns Arrest of Telegram’s CEO, Pavel Durov

Advertisements

Elon Musk, chairman of social media platform X, on Saturday, expressed his displeasure over arrest of Telegram CEO and founder, Pavel Durov.

French media reported that Telegram’s creator was held at Le Bourget airport at the weekend while exiting a private plane, which supposedly arrived from Azerbaijan.

Indeed, Durov, a French citizen, has been on the country’s wanted list. The French court system said Durov is implicated in crimes for a variety of reasons, including Telegram’s failure to cooperate with the country’s authorities.

However, Elon Musk immediately responded to the news on his social media platform, tweeting a Grok message from his official X account with the mocking description, “Check out this commercial for the First Amendment. “It is very convincing.”

The tweet described Durov’s detention and highlighted the ongoing inquiry into Telegram’s moderation methods.

Using the hashtag #FreePavel and #FreeDurov on his social media platform X, Musk appeared as supporters protested Durov’s arrest and demanded his release.

Durov is recognised for his strong stance on privacy and free speech, and he frequently clashes with government officials over his devotion to protecting user data and rejecting spying.

Musk also joked that by 2030, people in Europe could be executed for liking memes.

Musk captioned post: “POV: It’s 2030 in Europe and you’re being executed for liking a meme.” His comment emphasised Musk’s concerns about the future of free speech in Europe, implying a dystopian scenario in which even minor internet acts could result in serious consequences.