Telegram Founder Arrested + FBI Targets Americans with Ties to Russian Media

The Russian founder of the messaging app Telegram, Pavel Durov, was arrested in France this weekend, with reports from local media saying the French Government is making allegations related to the app's encryption tools and lack of moderation.

This, as the FBI has raided the homes of two Americans linked to Russian state-funded media this month, with the NY Times citing anonymous U.S. officials to claim that it's part of “an aggressive effort to combat the Kremlin’s influence operations leading up to the presidential election."

All of the above is a reminder that this crackdown is happening because the real influence campaigns—those coming from the U.S. and its allies—haven’t worked as intended.