Telegram creator Durov makes thinly veiled criticism of Zuckerberg
Date
1/12/2025 4:37:56 AM
(MENAFN) Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov subtly criticized Meta following its announcement of policy changes, specifically calling out Mark Zuckerberg’s company for its approach to free speech. Durov implied that supporting free speech is easier when there are no real risks involved.
In a post on Telegram, Durov responded to Zuckerberg's announcement that Meta would end its third-party fact-checking program in the United States. Zuckerberg acknowledged that the program, which aimed to combat misinformation, had inadvertently stifled diverse viewpoints. He also pointed to the outcome of the 2020 U.S. presidential election, where Donald Trump’s defeat influenced Meta’s decision to scale back censorship in favor of free speech.
Durov, while not directly mentioning Meta, wrote that it’s easy to support free speech when there is no personal or political risk. He suggested that those who are only now promising less censorship will face a real test when political tides shift. Durov proudly declared that Telegram had upheld freedom of speech long before it became politically safe to do so.
His remarks came after his earlier comments about restrictions on Telegram in the EU due to anti-Russia sanctions. Durov had pointed out that Russians enjoyed more media freedom on Telegram compared to Europeans, highlighting that while Russian media faced restrictions in the EU, Western media was freely accessible in Russia.
In addition, Durov’s platform faced legal challenges in Europe, including being detained in France in connection with alleged criminal activities linked to Telegram’s content. Despite these challenges, Durov continued to emphasize Telegram’s commitment to free speech, including an update to the platform’s terms in 2024 to clarify its policy regarding user data sharing with authorities under legal requests.
MENAFN12012025000045015687ID1109080632
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.