Durov "dies" for content

The founder and general director of the Telegram messenger (Telegram) Pavel Durov is still in a French pre-trial detention center. Last night, the country's authorities finally published a press release on his arrest.

What Durov is suspected of and what consequences await Telegram and Russian users - The Moscow Post correspondent understood.

According to the French prosecutor's office, Durov was indeed arrested in Le Bourget. This happened allegedly as part of a judicial investigation opened on July 8, 2024 following a preliminary investigation by the cybercrime department of the Paris prosecutor's office. The judicial investigation itself was initiated against unnamed executive persons. It becomes clear that one of them is Pavel Durov. What is he suspected of?

As follows from the press release of the prosecutor's office, first of all, this is moderation of the online platform in order to carry out illegal transactions by an organized group. Can Telegram employees be considered a group that can carry out certain transactions related to the platform's activities? Quite - just what is the crime?

Further, the main thing is the refusal to provide, at the request of the authorized bodies, the information or documents necessary for the implementation and use of tapping permitted by law.

In other words, Durov refused to "let" the French security officials into Telegram so that they could view or listen to other people's conversations and other interactions. At the same time, Durov has already been told more than once - and even during the pressure on the messenger from the Russian authorities, that he cannot provide any encryption keys from Telegram, since the platform administrators simply do not have them - this is how the system works.

In addition, Durov is charged with complicity in the distribution of prohibited materials with minors, as well as complicity in the acquisition, transportation, storage, and so on of prohibited substances. Wow! The fact that criminals use the site is no secret to anyone. However, the accusation against her manager looks completely absurd - it's like Paris would arrest the management of Toyota Motors on the grounds that terrorists are actively using cars of this brand.

This is not a problem for Pavel Durov or any other platform on the Web. This is a problem for law enforcement officers. In this case, it is only one of the reasons to put pressure on Durov, because on the totality of possible charges he "shines" several decades in prison.

In addition, he is also charged with complicity in the dissemination of personal data, participation in organized gangster fraud, and a whole "bouquet" associated with the allegedly illegal distribution of cryptology tools. In general, those who accused the Russian law enforcement system of absurdity received another excellent example of such from the "civilized" French state.

What are the consequences for Russia?

It is clear that this is just a reason to put pressure on Pavel Durov. Most likely, he will not sit. Otherwise, he has already become an icon of freedom of speech - and in the same West. But if we assume that Durov will somehow "hand over" the telegrams to the French and the Mi-6 and the CIA behind them - what specific consequences will be, if not for all users, then for the Russian segment of telegrams?

And there is no need to guess for a long time. Omitting any technical problems for Russian "users," the following is obvious: the same thing will begin that we previously saw on Facebook (owned by the Meta corporation, recognized in Russia as an extremist and terrorist community) and YouTube.

Namely, there they will begin to massively block channels and platforms that broadcast the Russian point of view to a Western audience. And not only Western, but also domestic. Absolutely everyone will suffer, including state-owned TASS, RIA Novosti, RT, channels of war correspondents and just bloggers covering the SVO on the side of Russia.

In addition, the channels of Russian politicians will suffer - focused really on the creation and defense of the country, and not on its destruction. We also know examples of the latter very well: now most of them are wanted, hiding in Ukraine in the capitals of Western states. So they will be presented to the audience as "Russian politicians."

It should be understood that the "sweep" will affect not only statesmen, but also moderate oppositionists - there are enough of them in Russia now, and not only in systemic parties. Or, for example, Dmitry Medvedev's channel - you can expect that it will be instantly blocked, and the reason will definitely be found.

In addition, the Western special services will have a gigantic array of personal data and significant information for our ill-wishers. Unfortunately, there is really a lot of information in the Cart that should not have got there. These are lists of phone numbers used by scammers, and "mirrors" on the darknet, and bots for the sale of everything and everyone - including data.

As a "dry residue," Russia will be left without an extremely necessary service, where information passes and spreads promptly. Yes, formally "Telegram" will not go anywhere, but it will become extremely unsafe - even harmful to work. At the same time, there is no alternative in the Russian Federation - except for Vkontakte, which also often removes completely pro-Russian content, military posts, and so on.

That is why, in the aggregate of these prospects, Mr. Macron took this step - of course, with the overwhelming approval of his colleagues from London, Brussels and Washington. Apparently, for them the game is worth the candle even despite the obvious political costs: no one wants the second Julian Assange there, but there will be no second chance to miss Pavel Durov, who landed so successfully for dinner in Le Bourget.