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Drug dealers to Putin critics: Behind Pavel Durov’s rare Telegram audience


Arrested in France, the Telegram boss has found widespread support that mirrors his app’s popularity across groups.

Telegram is a major platform for drug trafficking not only in former Soviet countries but elsewhere – including France, where the Paris-based Cali Weed cannabis delivery service promotes its products and recruits couriers via the app. “We do not allow the state to install cameras in our homes in order to prevent a crime, so why must we abandon our privacy to make law enforcement’s work easier?” said Artem Kozlyuk, co-founder of the Russian digital rights organisation Roskomsvoboda. “Telegram does not use end-to-end encryption (E2EE) – a tool that ensures that only the sender and intended recipient(s) can see the message – on all its chats by default,” explained Natalia Krapiva, senior tech-legal counsel at international digital rights organisation Access Now.

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