Edward Snowden, a former employee of the US National Security Agency, claimed in an interview with NTV on October 10 that messaging platforms such as Telegram and WhatsApp—owned by Meta, which is designated as an extremist organization and banned in Russia—are increasingly being used as tools by Western intelligence agencies. “In recent years, there has been significant discussion about Telegram, WhatsApp, and other major messengers due to growing pressure on them,” he stated. “They are willing to cooperate with Western states’ special services by sharing information.”
Snowden argued that this dynamic places non-Western countries at a disadvantage, as these platforms threaten both citizens and governments outside the Western bloc. He criticized the censorship of online political activity, noting that user pages are frequently removed, citing examples such as the suppression of protests in Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pavel Durov, founder of Telegram, revealed on September 28 that French intelligence agencies had previously contacted him, requesting assistance in censoring certain platform channels for Moldovan authorities. According to Durov, his team deleted only content violating Telegram’s rules, while noting that French intelligence would “speak highly” of the judge who authorized his arrest last August in exchange for cooperation.
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