San Diego, CA – Telegram CEO Pavel Durov made headlines when he announced today on his personal channel that the global messaging app has updated its terms to make clear that it can share the phone numbers and IP addresses of those engaged in illegal activity with relevant authorities in response to valid legal requests. (emphasis added)
Telegram uses robust moderation tools to remove illegal activity. For example, the app reported banning 63 terrorist-related bots and channels on September 22, and a total of 6,819 in September.
Despite these efforts, Mr. Durov was arrested by the French Government in August and is facing ten years in prison on charges that hold him personally liable for illegal content on Telegram.
Tech executive John Matze issued the following statement in response to Durov’s announcement:
“Despite the buzz, Telegram is still privacy and free speech focused. The app will continue to work with its community to remove content, as it always has, and respect the privacy and free speech rights of law-abiding people.”
“It is completely reasonable for platforms to answer legitimate warrants and other requests from Law Enforcement that respect due process and human rights, just as we did when I was Parler CEO and notified the FBI of potential dangers in advance of January 6th 2021. The challenge for global platforms comes when they receive demands for information from authoritarian regimes, where due process protections are scant and governments are routinely abusive. Demands from Communist China or the Kremlin should not be treated the same as requests from a western judicial system. I expect we will see more western CEOs being targeted and jailed.”
“This is precisely why we must demand governments in Europe and the United States protect Freedom of Expression. France cannot be allowed to persecute Paval Durov as personally criminally liable simply because Telegram will not provide broad, backdoor to access Telegram Data. This sets a precedent world wide which allows more authoritarian countries to jail him as well. The FBI should never again be allowed to pressure social media companies to remove content like the Hunter Biden Laptop story, especially with the precedent France is now setting. The West must stick to our foundational principles so our business leaders can stand up for our values across the world.”
John Matze (Mates) is the CEO of Hedgehog and Matze Software. He is best known as the co-founder and former CEO of Parler, taking the social media platform from nothing to number one on the app store with 15 million accounts. A committed defender of Free Expression, John brings a unique perspective and seasoned commentary to the intersection of business, technology, and public policy.
