Elon Musk, Edward Snowden and tech leaders criticise arrest of Telegram Founder Pavel Durov

Arrest of Telegram Founder: arrest of Telegram founder Pavel Durov in France hit helines in no time, and many tech leers reacted very sharply, including Elon Musk and Edward Snowden. 

arrest of founder was due to charges related to his messaging application, Telegram, which is known to have almost incorruptible end-to-end encryption. He was detained once his plane landed at Le Bourget Airport. 

Durov could face up to 20 years of imprisonment from now if declared guilty. 

Being a free speech vocate se days is increasingly feeling like a Kobayashi Maru problem

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk)

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, raised concerns over growing trend of censorship in Europe. He took to X formerly known as Twitter and said "Being a free speech vocate se days is increasingly feeling like a Kobayashi Maru problem".

 Edward Snowden, me a Russian citizen last year and who blew whistle on NSA, said in a tweet that arrest was an "assault on basic human rights" and an effort by French President Emmanuel Macron to get some private communication. He was disappointed by actions that h been taken by France. Snowden tweeted.

arrest of @Durov is an assault on basic human rights of speech and association. I am surprised and deeply sdened that Macron has descended to level of taking hostages as a means for gaining access to private communications. It lowers not only France, but world.

— Edward Snowden (@Snowden)

 " arrest of@Durov is an assault on basic human rights of speech and association. I am surprised and deeply sdened that Macron has descended to level of taking hostages as a means for gaining access to private communications. It lowers not only France, but world". 

In anor post he urged netizens to wake up, 

"First y came for Tiktok, and I did not speak out—Because I was not twelve years old. n y came for Telegram, and I did not speak out Because I was using some or app or sth idk. n y came for literally every or platform for dissent, and I did not speak out because bro how tf could i that's entire point wake up wake up wa—" Snowdens posted on X (formerly Twitter). 

First y came for Tiktok, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not twelve years old. n y came for Telegram, and I did not speak out—
Because I was using some or app or sth idk. n y came for literally every or platform for dissent, and I did not…

— Edward Snowden (@Snowden)

 American entrepreneur Balaji Srinivasan said that French government is interested in control more than justice." And why Durov should be blamed or accountable for 'Agenda' in Telegram when government couldn't even prevent crime in its own area. "France doesn't care about crime, y care about control. 

 "France doesn't care about crime, y care about control. Is Macron held personally responsible for every crime in France? No. So why is Durov expected to manage every action on Telegram?” Srinivasan tweeted." He posted.

 Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of Ereum, too chimed in on dismay about arrest and implications it has on communication freedom in Europe and said that even though he h slammed Telegram's policies on encryption in past, he was shocked at Durov's arrest.

 David Sacks, general partner for Craft Ventures, said situation was akin to rendition, and that it showed France joining forces with a whole host of or friendly nations to somehow circumvent all existing legal safeguards for its own citizens. 

Paul Graham, a computer scientist, warned of damage to France's reputation as a startup hub.