Chris Pavlovski, the founder and CEO of Rumble—an alternative to YouTube that prides itself on being “immune to cancel culture”—announced on X on Aug. 25, that he left Europe following the arrest of Pavel Durov, the CEO of Telegram.
He claimed France had “crossed a line” by arresting Telegram’s Durov and had “threatened Rumble.” In Nov. 2022, Rumble blocked French users after the French government asked it to remove “certain Russian news sources.” Additionally, in May, Pavlovski claimed Russia blocked Rumble for not meeting its censorship demands.
Pavlovski mentioned they’re currently dealing with legal battles in France and pushing for Pavel Durov’s quick release. Specifically, he didn’t reveal which country he’s come from or where he is now. Rumble hasn’t responded to our request for comment yet.
Telegram founder arrested amid content moderation controversy
Rumble is a video-sharing platform based in Florida and Ontario. It stands out for its relaxed approach to content moderation, especially when compared to big players like Meta and Google. This has drawn a notable crowd, especially from conservative communities.
Pavel Durov, a Russian-born French citizen, was taken into custody by French police on Aug. 24 at Paris–Le Bourget Airport. This arrest followed a warrant from the country’s judicial police based on an initial investigation.
The police investigation is reportedly looking into Telegram’s alleged lack of cooperation with law enforcement and its failure to control illegal activities on the platform. Specifically, this includes serious issues like child sexual abuse content, drug trafficking, fraud, and terrorism.
In a statement, Telegram explained that it follows European Union regulations, meets industry standards with its moderation practices, and continually refines them. Moreover, they mentioned that Durov, the founder, has nothing to hide and often travels around Europe.
Nearly a billion people rely on Telegram for crucial information, and it is unreasonable to blame the platform or its owner for how people use it.
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