Kononov portrays Pavel Durov as diverging sharply from typical tech entrepreneurs, based on years observing him as a political phenomenon. Under Durov’s leadership, Telegram evolved into a billion-user media ecosystem with minimal content moderation, making it one of the world’s most controversial platforms that attracts users fleeing state oversight. The author links Telegram to Western perceptions of digital undergrounds, intelligence agencies, ultra-right activists, anti-vaxxers, and extremists. Kononov identifies Durov’s “cryptopopulism”—digital populism rooted in decentralization and libertarianism—as a global strategy. 

He views Durov not as a standard innovator but a new populist appealing across ideologies, positioning himself as an impartial debate arbiter while wielding “techno-feudal” power over a billion users. The book warns of risks from Durov’s right-libertarian views, conspiracy influences, and technology’s role in polarizing societies.

source: kod

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