France’s recent move to arrest Telegram CEO Pavel Durov sent a ripple through the air of Silicon Valley. Durov, often dubbed the “Russian Zuckerberg” (although, credit where credit’s due, he’s way more free speech-focussed), now finds himself in the not-so-glamorous crosshairs of European authorities. It’s not just about the usual digital suspects like child exploitation or drug trafficking, although those charges are naturally part of the party invite. No, the real eyebrow-raiser came in the form of two utterly absurd allegations that are dangerously broad.
Apparently, one of Monsieur Durov’s crimes? Failing to play nice with French encryption laws. Yes, you read that right—encryption. The thing that allows you to send your endless barrage of memes and highly classified takes on “The Office” without some third-party goon peeking in.
