America utilizes Telegram to topple governments

(MENAFN) In a recent interview with Tucker Carlson, Mike Benz, a former State Department official under President Donald Trump and current head of the Foundation for Freedom Online, made controversial claims about the role of the encrypted messaging app Telegram in US foreign policy. Benz alleged that the US, particularly through its CIA-affiliated "soft power" operations, has employed Telegram to incite protests and political upheaval against governments deemed undesirable by Washington.

During the interview, Benz discussed the recent arrest of Telegram co-founder Pavel Durov in France, where Durov faces charges including complicity in crimes committed through his app and failing to cooperate with French authorities. Carlson questioned Benz about the possible connection between the United States and Durov’s arrest, but Benz chose not to speculate on this particular case.

However, Benz suggested that Durov’s arrest fits a broader pattern of United States strategy involving "soft power." He explained that the US has long supported free speech worldwide to advance its interests by supporting resistance movements and political activism in nations where it seeks to exert influence. Benz asserted that Telegram’s end-to-end encryption and its popularity in various countries made it a valuable tool for these efforts.

He highlighted that in 2018, when Russia attempted to ban Telegram, 26 United States-government-funded NGOs condemned the move. Benz argued that this reaction was part of a deliberate strategy, as the United States State Department had been using Telegram to stir unrest and organize protests in Russia, as well as in other countries like Belarus, Iran, Hong Kong, and China. According to Benz, these efforts were intended to challenge and destabilize governments opposed to United States interests

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