Russian Speaker of the House Accuses U.S. of Seeking Control Over Telegram
Vyacheslav Volodin, the Speaker of Russia’s State Duma, has accused the United States of attempting to seize control of the social media platform Telegram through a recent arrest warrant for its CEO, Pavel Durov, in France.
“Telegram stands as the largest platform on the Internet and one of the few not under U.S. influence. With the U.S. presidential election on the horizon, it appears President Joe Biden is determined to take control of Telegram,” commented Volodin on August 27th, following Durov’s arrest in France.
Volodin urged countries with significant Telegram user bases to recognize the current situation and question whether they want Washington to “control” this social network. He expressed concerns that Telegram could eventually be subjected to mechanisms that serve U.S. political interests.
“Most social networks are based in the U.S., where the White House exerts control. However, they have yet to compel Telegram to provide data to the U.S. State Department or the CIA. Now, through France, they are attempting to accuse Durov of numerous offenses,” Volodin stated.
Pavel Durov, who holds the keys to Telegram’s encrypted messaging technology, was detained at Le Bourget Airport near Paris on August 24th after arriving from Azerbaijan on a private jet. French authorities stated that the arrest was part of an investigation initiated in July, related to illegal activities on Telegram, including child pornography, drug trafficking, and financial fraud.
On August 27th, the Paris Prosecutor’s Office announced that Durov would be held for at least two more days to assist in the investigation. French President Emmanuel Macron denied any political motivation behind Durov’s arrest.
Born in Russia, Durov left the country in 2014 and no longer holds Russian citizenship. Despite this, several Russian officials and lawmakers have defended Durov, arguing that he is being targeted for refusing to serve Western interests.
The U.S. has yet to comment on Durov’s arrest in France or respond to the accusations from Russian officials.
Vladimir Dzhabarov, Deputy Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Federation Council (Upper House), also suggested that the U.S. is attempting to control Telegram to gather intelligence against Russian soldiers on the Ukrainian battlefield and is “clearly behind” Durov’s arrest in France.
“I believe the U.S. is trying to infiltrate Telegram, step by step. They won’t just ask Durov for information on a few suspected terrorists—they’ll demand access to everything,” Dzhabarov said in an interview with Rossiya-24 on August 26th.
He also speculated that U.S. intelligence might attempt to interfere with the investigation or recruit Durov to cooperate.
“Perhaps they will break his will, just as they did with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg,” Dzhabarov claimed, although he provided no evidence. “WhatsApp is under complete U.S. control. I think they’ll either do the same with Telegram or keep Durov in prison until he submits.”
Pavel Durov, 39, was born in Saint Petersburg and is often referred to as “Russia’s Mark Zuckerberg.” Telegram has reported that Durov currently holds citizenship in France and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Forbes estimates his net worth at approximately $15.5 billion.
The app he founded has over 900 million users and is renowned for its end-to-end encryption, ensuring that only those communicating can read the messages. This strong emphasis on privacy has made Telegram a favorite among a segment of users, particularly soldiers on the Ukrainian battlefield, but it has also attracted criminal organizations and extremist groups.
In April, Durov revealed that he had faced pressure from several governments. However, he reaffirmed that Telegram would continue to be a neutral platform, steering clear of geopolitical conflicts.
