Retired Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, known for his role as a key witness during the impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump, issued a stern warning to Elon Musk on Sunday following the arrest of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov in France.
Durov was detained in Paris on Saturday night after a preliminary police investigation linked him to allegedly failing to adequately control criminal activity on the Telegram app, according to reports from TF1 TV and BFM TV.
While concerns over free speech implications of Durov’s arrest were raised by experts and industry figures, Vindman backed the decision and took to X (formerly Twitter) to caution Musk about a growing trend of accountability, hinting that the billionaire could be next in line. “Durov’s arrest under French law has broader implications for other social media platforms, including Twitter,” Vindman wrote. “There’s rising intolerance for disinformation and malign influence, and an increasing demand for accountability. Musk should be on alert.”
Musk responded to Durov’s arrest on X over the weekend, posting multiple times and promoting the hashtag #FreePavel.
“These are dangerous times,” Musk commented in one post, criticizing government-imposed censorship.
Telegram, which has over 900 million users, is a messaging app similar to WhatsApp, but according to The New York Times, it also enables large group communications across various channels. The app has attracted global law enforcement scrutiny due to its use by terrorist organizations, drug traffickers, weapons dealers, and far-right extremist groups for coordination and recruitment, as reported by The New York Times.
Durov’s arrest prompted support from prominent politicians and industry leaders, who accused the French government of violating free speech. RFK Jr. wrote on X, “The need to protect free speech has never been more critical.” Rumble CEO Chris Pavlovski also expressed concern, stating, “France has threatened Rumble, and now they’ve crossed a red line by arresting Telegram’s CEO for allegedly failing to censor speech.”
Conservative commentator Ian Miles Cheong described the arrest as part of a broader attempt to silence dissent and control information, arguing, “We’re witnessing an attack on free speech right before our eyes.”
Vindman’s warning to Musk sparked significant backlash, prompting him to respond in a follow-up post where he criticized “free speech absolutist weirdos.” He wrote, “Enforcement is likely to escalate,” adding that those worried about Durov’s arrest should instead focus on “the fact that your nominee for POTUS is a sexual predator…”
Vindman and his twin brother, Eugene Vindman, first gained national attention in 2020 during Trump’s initial impeachment. Both worked for the National Security Council under the Trump administration and played a role in whistleblowing on Trump’s phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy regarding Hunter Biden’s business dealings. Alexander Vindman later testified against Trump and subsequently retired from the military.
