[willsoon]

1. Is encryption itself a crime?

2. Presumably Durov was in a meeting with Putin.

2. 1. But there is no war, the war against Ukraine is not a war in legal terms.

2. 2. And there is no charge of meeting with the enemy or anything like that.

2.3. So you are saying that we are talking about the charges in vain, because the political underground is obvious.

2.4. Yes, you are right, that is why we are talking about the charges.

[cja]

Imagine that Ukraine used a US messaging system for military comms. The head of that company visits Serbia (a country friendly to Russia) and is arrested on some charges that you don't agree with. Will you debate the charges or the consequences for Ukraine?

Maybe it's because I live very close to Russia and most of the people here probably don't think about the war every day, but the strategic reality of this situation makes all these privacy arguments so trivial.

I need to see this happen to someone other than Durov to consider that it's not about the war. While it's only Durov then I really don't think he's discussing privacy issues with the French - they are discussing his access to Telegram's systems and his ability and willingness to give that to the allies of Ukraine. Likewise in Russia they are not discussing the privacy issues, they are trying to lock Durov out Telegram's systems and the military and intelligence services are working on alternative ways to communicate, and meanwhile the effectiveness on the battlefield of the Russian army is compromised.

[BlueTemplar]

Speaking of Serbia, it's interesting that Macron is about to spend 2 days there, officially for the matters of selling fighter aircraft, nuclear reactors, and something about «AI»...

Now, of course that this happens just after the arrest of Durov might just be a coincidence, but you would also think that Macron might want to try to postpone that visit, especially considering the heating up political situation at home :

After Macron dissolved the assembly after very bad for his party European elections, the Left bloc won the legislative elections... but then Macron, after nearly 2 months, just declared that he refused the prime minister they selected, leading to an obviously pissed off Left bloc, most of which is calling for manifestations, and its leading party - basically starting an impeachment procedure against Macron !