French Government Websites Taken Down in Suspected Cyberattack
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – A large-scale Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attack has disrupted multiple French government websites, with sources claiming it is retaliation for the recent arrest of Pavel Durov, Telegram's founder and CEO, in France.
Several French government websites, including the Administrative Court of Paris, the French Health Department’s ansm.sante.fr, and the Court of Cassation, were knocked offline in a massive DDoS attack.
Visitors to these sites were met with warnings that their connections were not secure, effectively preventing access.
French officials are working urgently to restore the affected websites, but it remains uncertain how long the process will take.
Cybersecurity sources, such as Entropia Intel, have linked the attack to the arrest of Pavel Durov on August 24 in France. Durov’s detention has sparked outrage within the cryptocurrency community, with many suspecting a connection between the arrest and the cyberattack.
President Emmanuel Macron quickly responded, stating that Durov's arrest was not politically motivated. Macron claimed that France upholds the principles of free speech and expression, assuring the public that the courts, not the government, would determine Durov’s fate.
However, skepticism remains. Prominent figures in the crypto world and free speech advocates have voiced their concerns. Gabor Gurbacs, a former director at VanEck, criticized Macron’s stance, questioning, “You arrest the guy then see if he did something wrong? Is this the ‘rule of law’ and ‘freedom of expression’ you’re talking about?”
Vitalik Buterin, the co-founder of Ethereum, along with Elon Musk, has also called for Durov’s release. Although Buterin has previously criticized Telegram for its approach to encryption, he expressed concern over Durov’s detention, stating, “The charge seems to be just being unmoderated and not giving up people’s data. This looks very bad and worrying for the future of software and comms freedom in Europe.”
French prosecutors announced that Durov could be held until August 28. The charges against him are broad, including allegations of complicity in operating a platform for illegal activities, refusal to provide information for legal wiretaps, and involvement in issues related to minors and illegal content. Additional accusations include drug trafficking, fraud, money laundering, and providing unauthorized cryptography services.
