Chris Pavlovski, the founder and CEO of Rumble, announced his departure from Europe following the arrest of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov.

Pavlovski, a Canadian national, announced X on Sunday, August 25. He claimed France had threatened his company and crossed a red line by arresting Durov.

Departure Announcement

"I've just safely departed from Europe," Pavlovski posted on X. He did not disclose the country he had left or his current whereabouts.

In November 2022, Rumble blocked access to French users, alleging that the French government had asked it to remove specific Russian news sources, which Rumble said it would legally challenge.

In May, Pavlovski claimed that Russia blocked Rumble because the platform refused to comply with its censorship demands.

"We are currently fighting in the courts of France, and we hope for Pavel Durov's immediate release," Pavlovski wrote. Rumble has yet to respond to requests for comment immediately.

Background and Legal Issues

Rumble is a video-sharing platform headquartered in Florida and Ontario. It is famous among conservatives and conspiracy theorists for its relaxed stance on content moderation compared to giants like Meta and Google.

French officers arrested Durov on August 24 at Paris-Le Bourget Airport based on a warrant issued by the country's judicial police. Authorities claim Duro and Telegram do not cooperate with law enforcement and lack proper moderation to avoid crimes, including child sexual abuse content, drug trafficking, fraud, and terrorism.

Telegram's Response

In a statement, Telegram claimed to abide by European Union laws and that its moderation is within industry standards and constantly improving.

The company added that Durov "has nothing to hide and travels frequently in Europe."

Telegram emphasized that almost a billion users rely on its platform for vital information and criticized the notion that the platform or its owner should be held responsible for abuse of the platform.

French authorities have not publicly released a statement regarding Durov's arrest but are expected to do so on Monday, August 26.

This ongoing situation highlights the increasing tension between tech platforms and government authorities over content moderation and censorship issues.

"We are currently fighting in the courts of France, and we hope for Pavel Durov's immediate release," Pavlovski wrote.

The situation remains fluid, and further developments are anticipated as both Rumble and Telegram navigate these legal battles. Stay tuned for more updates on this unfolding story.