Retired Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, known for his role as a key witness in Trump’s impeachment trial, issued a cautionary message to Elon Musk on Sunday following the arrest of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov in France.
Durov was served an arrest warrant in Paris on Saturday night due to allegations that he failed to adequately curb criminal activity on Telegram, as reported by TF1 TV and BFM TV. While experts were concerned about the implications for international free speech, Vindman supported the action and warned Musk about the “growing appetite for accountability,” suggesting that Musk might be targeted next.
Musk, who criticized Durov’s arrest and promoted the hashtag #FreePavel on social media, has been vocal about the issue.
See Vindman and Musk’s tweets below:
While Durov holds French citizenship, is arrested for violating French law, this has broader implications for other social media, including Twitter. There’s a growing intolerance for platforming disinfo & malign influence & a growing appetite for accountability. Musk should be… https://t.co/GyPMquKtKV
— Alexander S. Vindman ❎ (@AVindman) August 25, 2024
Dangerous times https://t.co/FuB6NEWOqr
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 25, 2024
Telegram, with over 900 million users, is a messaging app similar to WhatsApp but supports large group communications across various channels. According to The New York Times, the app is monitored by law enforcement globally due to its use by terrorist organizations, drug traffickers, weapons dealers, and far-right extremists for communication, recruitment, and organization.
Vindman originally testified about a phone call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, which he alleged was an abuse of power. After his testimony, Vindman faced significant backlash and was ultimately reassigned from his position.
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