Telegram Co-founder and CEO Pavel Durov has been arrested in France on charges related to his encrypted messaging app’s alleged role in facilitating criminal activity, according to multiple reports from French media outlets.
Durov, a 39-year-old Russian-born billionaire, was detained by French police on Saturday August 24, evening when his private jet landed at Le Bourget airport near Paris.
His arrest comes as part of a preliminary investigation into Telegram’s lack of content moderation, which authorities believe has enabled the spread of illegal content and activities on the platform.
French authorities had issued his arrest warrant as part of the ongoing investigations into the app’s use; however, the warrant was only valid if Durov stepped foot on French soil.
“He made a blunder this evening. We don’t know why… Was this flight just a stopover. In any case, he’s in custody,” a source close to the investigation told French Media TF1.
Investigations Into the App’s Criminal Use
The investigation, led by France’s OFMIN agency tasked with preventing violence against minors, is looking into Telegram’s potential involvement in pedophilia, fraud, drug trafficking, cyberbullying, organized crime, and the promotion of terrorism.
Authorities argue that the app’s features, such as its use of cryptocurrencies, have made it complicit in these global criminal operations.
“Pavel Durov will end up in pre-trial detention, that’s for sure, on his platform, he allowed an incalculable number of misdemeanors and crimes to be committed for which he does nothing to moderate or cooperate,” said an investigator.
The billionaire, who became a French citizen in 2021, is expected to appear in court on Sunday, August 25.
Also Read: How DCI Nabbed 6 Telegram Channel Admins Over Exam Cheating
Telegram Under Scrutiny from the European Union
Telegram, which aims to reach 1 billion active users by end of year, has faced increasing scrutiny from the European Union over its content moderation practices.
The platform has not only become a critical source of information in the Russia-Ukraine war but has also been criticized for hosting graphic and misleading content related to the conflict.
“Telegram is popular among various pro-Russian actors as well as individuals who have been spreading disinformation for a long time because there is almost no content moderation,” said Dr Daniel Milo, the former director of the Centre for Countering Hybrid Threats at the Slovak Interior Ministry.
“The rules of Telegram in this regard are very, very lax,” he added.
Also Read: Man Aiding Terrorist on Social Media Sentenced to 30 Years
Durov, who left Russia in 2014 after refusing to comply with government demands to censor opposition groups on his previous social media platform VKontakte, has maintained that he is determined to keep Telegram “neutral” and “free from geopolitics”
In a 2016 interview with “60 Minutes,” Durov said he was “horrified” to learn that Telegram, created with heavy encryption so as to safeguard users’ personal data from that government access, was also being used by terrorist groups like the Islamic State.
When asked during the interview whether privacy concerns outweighed security risks, Durov said, “I’m personally for the privacy side.”
“But one thing that should be clear is that you cannot make just one exception for law enforcement without endangering private communications of hundreds of millions of people because encryption is either secure or not,” he added.
Follow our WhatsApp Channel for real-time news updates!
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaB3k54HltYFiQ1f2i2C
