Why was the CEO of Telegram just arrested? w/ Mallory Knodel

Computer Says Maybe · Sep 6, 2024 · 44m

Last week, CEO of Telegram Pavel Durov landed in France and was immediately detained. The details of his arrest are still emerging; he is being charged for being complicit in illegal activities happening on the platform, including the spread of CSAM.

Durov’s lawyer has referred to these charges as “absurd” — because the head of a social media company cannot be held responsible for criminal activity on the platform. That might be true in the US but does that hold up in France?

This week Alix is joined by Mallory Knodel to talk us through what happened:

What are the implications of France…