[yatsyk]

I share Durov’s disappointment about where the internet is heading.

But I think it’s hypocritical to talk about freedom of speech issues in Western Europe while ignoring similar or worse restrictions in China, Russia, or Dubai, where he lives.

It’s similar to Musk’s approach — when Twitter is shut down in Brazil, it’s a freedom of speech violation, but having a Tesla factory in China suddenly makes that problem disappear there.

[culll_kuprey]

Hypocrisy is a virtue. It gives you the strength to batter the enemy while remaining untouched yourself.

[SilverElfin]

I view it differently. China and Russia are lost causes and are fundamentally authoritarian. Western democracies or countries that claim to constitutionally protect free speech (like Brazil) can be held to a higher standard. Not doing so leads to them ultimately becoming authoritarian.

[yatsyk]

I’m more focused on the situation from Musk’s point of view, not yours. Maybe your view is less controversial. But I don’t think Musk sees China and Russia as failed states. He’s said many positive things about both countries.

[2OEH8eoCRo0]

Stateless individuals shouldn't lecture us on values.

[kgeist]

Well, Russia has basically never had freedom of speech, except for a brief period in the 1990s, so it contributes nothing to his thesis in the tweet that "once-free countries are introducing dystopian measures."

[yatsyk]

If he had written that Western Europe is moving toward China’s model, I would have had no questions about his tweet and would have fully supported it.

As I understand it, Durov doesn’t agree with your statement — you can check point 5 of his 2014 manifesto [1]

[1] https://globalvoices.org/2014/03/13/pavel-durovs-seven-reaso...

[kgeist]

>2014

That was before the Kremlin fully launched its repressive measures against the Internet, and before he was forced to leave Russia for refusing to cooperate with the authorities.

[sam_lowry_]

Already after 2012 street protests in Moscow.

[jrochkind1]

Makes it weird that he's choosing to live in a never-free country maybe though (as an alternative to living in the other seldom-free country in which he is a citizen).