Telegram CEO’s Arrest: Vitalik Buterin Says Future of Software Looks Bad in Europe

The arrest of Telegram cofounder, Pavel Durov, sparked a series of discussions across the globe, with various high-profile individuals sharing their thoughts on the situation. The latest commentary comes from the cofounder of Ethereum, Vitalik Buterin. The Canadian programmer shared his perspective, stating that the arrest gives him a negative perception of the future of the software industry.

Buterin said that even though he had criticized the Telegram messaging app before due to its level of encryption, he believes the arrest is unwarranted.

“I’ve criticized Telegram before for not being serious with encryption,” Buterin said.

He mentioned that based on the available information, Pavel was arrested for being “unmoderated and not giving up people’s data.”

“This looks very bad and worrying for the future of software and comms freedom in Europe,” Buterin added.

One of his followers on Twitter, who also expressed his grievances towards the event by questioning the future of communication apps, asked whether large messaging app companies like WhatsApp and iMessage will need “to create a backdoor for the government” now or in the future.

In response, the Ethereum cofounder said, “open source and formal verification of security properties” are now needed more than ever.

The Arrest of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov

The CEO of Telegram, who also co-founded the messaging app, was reportedly arrested at the French airport Le Bourget Airport shortly after he landed to refuel his private jet.

The French-Russian entrepreneur was said to have been arrested over unmoderated content on his app. However, media outlets have reported differing stories regarding the reasons for his arrest.

Meanwhile, the Telegram-related token, The Open Network (TON), which was launched in 2018, responded to the negative news by plummeting about 20%.