France's arrest of Telegram chief Pavel Durov means: “They have practically arrested the head of communications of the Russian army,” says military blogger

Pavel DurovCEO of the social media platform Telegram, was arrested by French authorities. The arrest has sparked concern in Russia as the military relies heavily on Telegram for its communications.

What happened: Durov, the CEO of Telegram, was arrested in France over alleged use of his platform for child pornography, drug trafficking and organized crime. The arrest has caused a stir in Russia, as Telegram is widely used by the Russian military for battlefield communications.

“They've effectively arrested the Russian army's communications chief,” a Russian military blogger channel said on Telegram. The Russian military's Main Communications Directorate has shown little interest in developing an alternative to Telegram, but Durov's arrest could speed up the process, Politico reported.

Russian politicians are alarmed and are demanding Durov's release, fearing that he could hand over encryption keys to the French authorities and thereby potentially reveal user communications. The French President Emmanuel Macron has stated that Durov's arrest had no political motives.

Despite its popularity, Telegram has been criticized for its lack of moderation, making it a haven for illegal activities. The platform denies any links to the Russian government and insists it complies with EU laws.

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Why it is important: Durov faces 12 serious charges, including involvement in the distribution of child pornography, drug-related offences, organised fraud and money laundering. This long list of charges has heightened the debate about freedom of expression, digital rights and the balance between security and privacy online.

president Emmanuel Macron denied any political motivation behind Durov’s arrest. However, the incident has sparked concern around the world, with figures such as Elon Musk expressed his horror and pointed to extreme regulation and censorship in the region, Benzinga reported.

Durov's arrest could potentially disrupt the Russian military's communications system and lead to a change in its communications strategy. The situation also raises questions about the security and privacy of user data on Telegram.

Image by Tech Crunch via Flickr

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This story was created with Benzinga Neuro and edited by Shivdeep Dhaliwal