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Telegram: The libertarian chat app’s global ascent

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The messaging network, which was established in Russia, has maintained a low profile in Western countries. However, it boasts a substantial user base of hundreds of millions globally and serves as a significant factor in the Ukraine conflict.

Tendencies towards libertarianism

Pavel Durov, who was detained upon arrival in Paris on Saturday aboard his personal aircraft, initiated the platform in 2013 alongside his brother Nikolai.

It asserts a user base of 950 million, a significant increase from 550 million in 2022.

In April, Durov expressed to Tucker Carlson, a conservative American journalist, that users greatly appreciate the platform’s privacy and freedom.

Telegram has prominently emphasized its refusal to surrender or trade user data, setting itself apart from the economic strategies employed by American competitors like as Meta or Google.

News channels in Russia and Ukraine enjoy more popularity compared to traditional media outlets.

However, the site has faced persistent criticism for its inability to effectively filter and control the dissemination of extremist content.

Durov, whose net fortune is estimated at $15.5 billion by Forbes, stated in March to the Financial Times his intention to enhance the moderating mechanisms.

However, he stated that until individuals violate certain boundaries, he believes it is unnecessary to monitor or control how they choose to communicate.

However, he also stated that the company has a limited workforce of only a few dozen individuals, a factor that experts argue may not be sufficient to ensure a sufficiently safe platform.

  • Russian ancestry:

The individual, who was 39 years old at the time, gained recognition in 2006 by establishing the social network VKontakte (VK) shortly after completing his studies at St Petersburg State University.

Millions of people registered and it rapidly gained the reputation of being “Russia’s Facebook”, which caught the attention of the Kremlin.

He stated that he had to resist the requests made by the Russian security agencies to provide information about opposition groups utilizing VK for coordination.

Subsequently, he faced significant coercion to surrender the personal information of pro-European activists in Ukraine.

As a result of these experiences, he established Telegram and then divested his ownership in VK in 2014, ultimately departing from Russia.

In 2017, he established his presence in Dubai, deliberately avoiding the stricter regulatory systems of the European Union and the United States.

Durov holds dual citizenship of the Caribbean island of Saint Kitts and Nevis as well as French nationality, which he acquired in 2021.

  • Legal issues:

French prosecutors allege that Telegram has neglected its responsibility to regulate information and cooperate with the authorities.

The highlighted information includes instances of fraud, drug trafficking, organized crime, glorification of terrorism, and cyberbullying.

The company has asserted that it cannot be held accountable for the actions of its users, a legal argument commonly employed by major technology platforms.

Several nations have attempted to impede access to Telegram in previous instances.

In 2018, Iran said that it was harboring violent opposition organizations.

In the same year, Russia admitted to its failure to surrender encryption keys.

Brazil temporarily imposed a block on it last year due to its failure to furnish data on neo-Nazi organizations, while Spain took action against it for intellectual property infringements.

  • No earnings have been generated thus far –

Until 2018, Telegram was solely financed by Durov. However, it secured a substantial amount of $1.7 billion in funding to initiate its own digital currency.

The cryptocurrency venture collapsed following the denial of approval by US regulators, leading to the business refunding a significant portion of the invested funds.

In 2021, the messaging service started displaying advertisements while maintaining that it would not utilize users’ personal data for the purpose of targeting.

In 2022, a high-end subscription system was implemented.

Durov informed the Financial Times that his company is earning a substantial amount of income, amounting to hundreds of millions, and has the aspiration to become profitable in the near future.

Additionally, he did not exclude the possibility of conducting an initial public offering on the stock exchange.

wealth,Despite his consistent affirmation that his objective is not centered around amassing wealth.

“My main goal in life was to achieve freedom,” he informed Carlson, emphasizing that Telegram was created to enable individuals to freely express themselves.

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Preliminary ruling on Sheikh Rashid’s exoneration plea on conspiracy to assassinate President Zardari

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On Thursday, the Islamabad District and Sessions Court reserved judgment on Sheikh Rashid’s (leader of the Awami Muslim League) appeal in the matter of alleged plot to assassinate President Asif Ali Zardari.

Earlier, Sheikh Rashid sought exoneration in the matter by lodging a plea.

On Thursday, the session was presided over by Civil Judge Yasir Mehmood.

The ex-minister of the federal government and his legal team made an appearance in court.

In court, lawyer Sardar Razaq contended that the FIR filed against Sheikh Rashid did not adhere to the law.

The veteran politician’s lawyer begged the court to clear his client’s name in the case that was filed with the Abpara Police Station.

The case’s ruling was postponed by the court.

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KP CM Ganadapur granted three weeks of travel bail by PHC

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The chief minister of KP, Ali Amin Gandapur, has been granted three weeks of transit bail in his plea with the Peshawar High Court (PHC).

The appeal for information regarding charges against Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur was considered by a two-judge panel from the PHC, which included Chief Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim and Justice Sahibzada Asadullah.

The chief justice noted that the chief minister showed up for the court hearing, even though he was actually scheduled to be in Islamabad for an IMF meeting.

The applicant’s legal representative has asked for specifics of all pending charges against Chief Minister Gandapur, including those in Punjab.

According to the assistant attorney general, he told the ministry of the interior to adhere rigidly to court orders.

According to CJ Ibrahim, they have the option to request a response from the federal government and extend protection bail up to the Punjab region.

In every case, the additional attorney general ensured that court orders were implemented. He said that he had written to each district and requested details from the Punjab Police and the Inspector General.

The assistant attorney general has asked for an extension of three weeks to complete the report.

Gandapur could not attend the court daily due to his administrative duties and his position as chief minister and public office holder, according to Justice Asadullah.

After extending KP CM’s protective bail, the judge postponed the case hearing to December 17.

“Prepared to Protest”

Speaking to the media outside of PHC, KP CM Ali Amin Gandapur declared that he was prepared for the PTI protest meeting and that this time, the action plan will be stringent but undisclosed.

He emphasized that their peaceful protest was in accordance with their constitutionally protected right. According to him, his group was attacked, rubber bullets were shot, and routes were blocked so that protests couldn’t take place.

Importantly, on November 24th, Aleema Khan, who is the brother of PTI founder Imran Khan, said that her brother had called for a final protest.

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A response to an intra-party election case has been granted an extension by PTI.

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The matter involving PTI’s intra-party elections was heard by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), and the party once again asked for more time to respond.

Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, chairman of the PTI, and petitioner Akbar S. Babar were both present before a two-member ECP court that heard the matter.

In response to PTI’s plea for additional time to respond, the Election Commission extended the deadline.

Additional case proceedings will not resume until December 4, per the commission’s adjournment.

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