Italian journalist says West tightening censorship amid Durov case
Telegram founder Pavel Durov's recent statements about cooperation with the French authorities are clear evidence of the tightening of censorship in the West. Lorenzo Pocini, associate professor of political philosophy and geopolitics, consultant in strategic analysis, geopolitics and international relations, publisher and journalist, said in a conversation with Izvestia on Monday, September 23.
"We all know what happened to him, he was arrested in France just a few weeks ago, and it is absolutely certain that he found a way to cooperate with all the Interpol authorities and the French police," Pocini said.
According to him, what is really happening in Europe is "a George Orwell nightmare." He believes that European authorities and intelligence agencies are tightening their management and control in digital media, making the lack of freedom of speech tougher.
"In this climate of Russophobia, and indeed in a climate where we can say absolutely nothing against the trendy pro-Western narrative, it's incredible to see how quickly they are trying to spread fear among people and, most importantly, how quickly all the legislation is changing," Pochini concluded.
Earlier in the day, Durov said that phone numbers and IP addresses of Telegram messenger rule violators could be disclosed to the relevant authorities in response to reasonable requests on their part. He emphasized that the messenger is designed to find friends and news, not to promote illegal goods.
Before that, on September 20, Le Figaro newspaper reported that Durov had agreed to cooperate with the investigation in France, which provoked requests for information from several states at once. According to the newspaper, Durov agreed to remove the "People Nearby" feature, tighten the moderation of content sharing on the platform and disclose anonymous data of some users. The US, the Republic of Korea and Belgium have since sent requests for such data.
Durov was detained on the evening of August 24 at Paris' Le Bourget airport. He was charged with a number of offenses that include drug distribution, a crime against children, money laundering and fraud. The Telegram platform team said it complies with all European Union (EU) laws, including the Digital Services Act. French President Emmanuel Macron said the businessman's detention was not related to politics.
On August 26, Durov was released from custody on his own recognizance and a bail of €5 million. The court confiscated his passports for the period of investigation and ordered the businessman to live in Paris at a specific address. The French prosecutor's office told Izvestia on September 6 that the businessman will be able to seek a change in the rules of his judicial control and their relaxation. Paris prosecutor Laure Becco said on September 11 that the Telegram founder's case is exemplary in the fight against cybercrime.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on September 5 at the plenary session of the IX Eastern Economic Forum (WEF-2024) that Russia had no claims against the Telegram founder, unlike the authorities of other countries. He pointed out that the claims from other countries arose against the background of the use of Telegram by individuals and structures that could harm the economy or security through their activities.
