The arrest of the Telegram boss in France is considered an "existential threat to free speech" by a tech entrepreneur.

The arrest of Telegram co-founder Pavel Durov poses an existential threat to free speech and could have global ramifications, setting dangerous precedents that jeopardize freedoms.

Matze informed Planet Chronicle Digital that this should be a significant story as it is connected to the ongoing global conflict over privacy and free speech.

Privacy is a constitutional right and a basic human right, and encryption and the ability to communicate with large groups of people should be considered.

Matze stated that this poses a considerable danger to both privacy and free speech.

On Saturday, Durov was arrested at Le Bourget airport outside Paris as part of a probe into criminal activity on the messaging app. French prosecutors claimed that Durov allowed the illegal activity, and judges ordered him to pay 5 million euros bail. Durov is currently banned from leaving France while the investigation continues.

Durov, a French citizen, is accused of using his platform for child sexual abuse material and drug trafficking, and of refusing to share information or documents with investigators when legally required.

The prosecutor's office stated that the first allegation against him was for ''aiding and abetting in the operation of an online platform that facilitated illegal transactions by a criminal organization,'' which is punishable by imprisonment for up to 10 years and a fine of 500,000 euros.

Matze believes that Durov, who fled Russia in 2014 due to the Kremlin's censorship demands, was targeted by the French government because he typically does not cooperate with requests for information from governments.

In 2018, Matze co-founded Parler, which quickly gained popularity among free speech advocates. However, the platform was eventually shut down due to its failure to regulate "inappropriate content." Since then, Matze has launched Hedgehog, a platform designed for everyday Americans to access and discuss news, and continues to champion the cause of free speech.

Matze stated that in 2021, his company was deplatformed and removed from the internet due to false accusations about content moderation. Now, we see a similar situation with Telegram, where a group of extremists is pushing for censorship and the removal of privacy from the platform.

"He continued, 'I'm passionate about this. Do social media founders and owners have legal liability for what people do on their platform? And should they be held responsible to the extent that the accusations suggest?'"

In 2023, Telegram reported 700 million monthly users, with both artificial intelligence and human moderators overseeing public channels and groups. The app is extremely popular in India, where 100 million users reside, but is used by fewer than 10% of people in France.

In the developing world and in conflict zones, Telegram has features that allow you to send broadcast messages to a large audience. This is similar to posting a message on a social media platform, as Matze explained.

"In conflict zones or areas where free speech is not respected, people can quickly disseminate information to a large audience without the risk of local governments being informed about the individuals fighting for their freedom and lives."

In February, the French authorities launched a preliminary investigation into Telegram due to the lack of response from the company to judicial requests for data related to suspects, particularly those accused of child-related crimes, the prosecutor's office stated.

Matze is outraged over Durov's arrest and believes it highlights the hypocrisy in how different messaging platforms are treated.

In the West, countries are becoming increasingly aggressive in enacting hate speech laws and censorship requirements. What sets this case apart is that they are accusing the platform of criminal activity and holding the founder liable for it. Matze pointed out that Meta-owned WhatsApp has a significantly larger user base.

Durov's accusation that Matze used encryption without a license is not only false and inconsistent, but also sets a dangerous precedent.

The statement that cryptography is now illegal is terrifying because many platforms, including WhatsApp and Facebook products, employ end-to-end encryption.

Planet Chronicle Digital’s Bradford Betz contributed to this report.