There's an intriguing moral paradox in Pavel's arrest, and it is, to me, all about ownership.

Car manufacturers aren't arrested because criminals use their car. However, Pavel was arrested because criminals used his app.

I see a lot of people, including me, feeling bitter about this arrest and worried about what it means for their personal privacy and freedom.

Yet, it's widely considered immoral to remain passive when one has the direct ability to prevent immoral actions, especially serious offenses like child exploitation.

If Telegram's technology had been decentralized to the point where Pavel clearly couldn't influence what was happening on the platform, it's unlikely anyone would attempt to arrest him or accuse him of anything.

Why? ... 1/2

Co-founder & CEO at @morpho labs. Making financial infrastructure a public good.

Telegram’s patch notes included a lot of dog whistles though. Someone involved knew about and was encouraging criminal activity. I def understand the leeriness about the arrest though.