Black Swan author slams ‘Orwellian’ Macron over Durov

Nassim Taleb says the French president’s words about the arrest of the Telegram founder should be interpreted “in reverse”

French President Emmanuel Macron’s statements about the arrest of Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov should be interpreted as the opposite of what he actually says, economist and ‘Black Swan’ author Nassim Taleb has said. 

The French leader posted a message on X on Monday insisting that the detention of Durov was “in no way a political decision” and was part of an ongoing “judicial investigation.” Macron claimed that France is, and will be, “deeply committed to freedom of expression and communication, to innovation, and to the spirit of entrepreneurship.”  

However, the president pointed out that “in a state governed by the rule of law, freedoms are upheld within a legal framework” and that “it is up to the judiciary, in full independence, to enforce the law.” 

Nassim responded to the president’s message by writing that “every word he wrote must be interpreted in reverse” and described Macron’s statement as “Orwellian.” 

“Expecting a Hegelian state to safeguard liberty is akin to trusting a bordello owner to promote chastity,” the author wrote.  

Others have also expressed outrage over Durov’s arrest, including billionaire Elon Musk, American journalist Tucker Carlson, and Silicon Valley investor David Sacks, who have all described the move as a direct attack on free speech.  

Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom has also called for a complete boycott of everything related to France, telling people to stop buying French products or traveling to the country until Durov is released.  

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Durov, a citizen of Russia, France, the UAE, and St Kitts and Nevis, was arrested at a Paris airport on Saturday after arriving by private jet from Azerbaijan. French prosecutors have said that his detention is part of a broader probe into child pornography, drug sales, fraud and other crimes supposedly committed through Telegram.   

Durov is reportedly being investigated for allegedly refusing to cooperate with law enforcement and insufficiently moderating the platform.  

Telegram, however, has insisted that it has complied with all EU laws, including the bloc’s Digital Rights Act and sanctions on Russia. The company has called it “absurd” that the platform or its owner could be held responsible for the misuse of the app by bad actors.