The pro-free speech CEO of Rumble and X owner Elon Musk messaged their support for protecting speech, as France arrested a fellow tech leader for refusing to increase censorship on his platform.
French authorities arrested Telegram CEO Pavel Durov on Saturday, allegedly for not censoring enough so-called “criminal activity” on his platform, but many have expressed doubt that that is the real reason. Noting the ongoing assault on free speech, both Rumble CEO Chris Pavlovski and Musk made numerous posts suggesting that Durov’s arrest is a continuation of an anti-freedom assault from yet another European power.
Pavlovski expressed concern for Durov and vowed to stand up to anti-free speech French authorities. “France has threatened Rumble, and now they have crossed a red line by arresting Telegram’s CEO, Pavel Durov, reportedly for not censoring speech,” Pavlovski posted on X.
He continued, “Rumble will not stand for this behavior and will use every legal means available to fight for freedom of expression, a universal human right. We are currently fighting in the courts of France, and we hope for Pavel Durov’s immediate release.”
In a separate post, Pavlovski commented, “... France arrests Telegram CEO[.] Free speech is under major assault and I will not stop fighting for it.” For his part, Musk commented, “Very worrying[.]”
Pavlovski hinted that the attack on free speech won’t end with Telegram.
The Rumble CEO shared a post made by tech entrepreneur and investor David Sacks indicating X will be the anti-free speech elites’ next target. The post showed a list of four companies, with the first two — TikTok and Telegram — crossed out. X and Rumble were the other companies listed. “This is where we are… “ Pavlovski wrote. Musk agreed, writing in response, “Yes.”
Musk also tweeted a clip of Durov discussing freedom of speech with podcast host Tucker Carlson, commenting, “#FreePavel.” The clip included Durov saying, “We love the fact that Elon bought Twitter.” He described X as becoming “more pro-freedom of speech.” Musk described the global assault on free speech online as indicative of the “Dangerous times” society is currently facing.
Indeed, Musk posted repeatedly about the free speech crisis. “POV: It’s 2030 in Europe and you’re being executed for liking a meme,” he tweeted. Musk further shared GrokAI’s summary of Durov’s arrest, arguing the arrest occurred because of lack of moderation (ie., censorship) on Telegram. “Check out this ad for the First Amendment. It is very convincing,” Musk captioned the Grok summary. He also posted a meme of the Founding Fathers, writing, “The 2nd amendment is the only reason long-term that the 1st amendment will be upheld.”
After Durov’s arrest, Telegram rebuked the French authorities for trying to strong-arm the company’s leadership, saying, “‘It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner are responsible for abuse of that platform.’” The platform further noted, “Telegram’s CEO Pavel Durov has nothing to hide and travels frequently in Europe.”
According to Fraceinfo, Durov “was under the threat of a French research warrant issued on the basis of a preliminary investigation by the Obmin, the Minor Office specializing in combating violence against minors under the national director of the French judicial police … [and t]he investigation is now in the hands of the national cyber unit of the gendarmerie and the national anti-fraud office, for suspicions of offences ranging from fraud to drug trafficking, cyberbullying, organized crime and the glorification of terrorism” [translated from French to English utilizing a web translator].
French President Emmanuel Macron has since responded to criticism, posting a defense of France’s actions on X. “France is deeply committed to freedom of expression and communication, to innovation, and to the spirit of entrepreneurship. It will remain so,” Macron wrote in relevant part. Later in the response, he elaborated, “The arrest of the president of Telegram on French soil took place as part of an ongoing judicial investigation. It is in no way a political decision. It is up to the judges to rule on the matter.”
But Pavlovski would have none of it. “When you say you are committed to freedom of expression, you are lying,” he wrote on X. “We have a letter from France that proves this, without a doubt. We had to shutdown Rumble in France because you have NO committment [sic] to freedom of expression.”
France is not the only governmental authority trying to erect an Orwellian censorship apparatus to control the flow of information online, and Telegram is not alone in being targeted. Both X and Rumble have been targeted by European Union authorities too, with demands for increased censorship.
Conservatives are under attack. Contact your representatives and demand that Big Tech be held to account to mirror the First Amendment and provide an equal platform for conservatives. If you have been censored, contact us using MRC Free Speech America’s contact form, and help us hold Big Tech accountable.
