Telegram’s chief executive, Pavel Durov, has found himself in legal trouble after being arrested by French police at an airport near Paris. The Franco-Russian billionaire, known for his popular messaging app, was detained at Le Bourget airport on Saturday evening. The arrest was related to alleged offenses including fraud, drug trafficking, cyberbullying, organized crime, and the promotion of terrorism.
France’s OFMIN had issued an arrest warrant for Durov as part of a preliminary investigation into the misuse of the platform. Durov is accused of failing to take action to prevent criminal activities on Telegram. One of the investigators expressed surprise that Durov would travel to Paris knowing he was a wanted man. The encrypted messaging app, based in Dubai, has positioned itself as an alternative to US-owned platforms, pledging never to disclose any user information.
In a recent interview with Tucker Carlson, Durov revealed that the idea for Telegram came after facing pressure from the Russian government during his time at VK, a social network he created. After selling VK and leaving Russia in 2014, Durov attempted to settle in several cities before ultimately choosing Dubai. He praised the business environment and neutrality of the city, highlighting the independence, privacy, and freedom that users appreciate on Telegram. Durov claimed that the platform had over 900 million active users at the time.
Telegram’s decision to base itself in the UAE has allowed the platform to avoid moderation laws that Western countries are enforcing on larger platforms. With the capability to host groups of up to 200,000 members, Telegram has faced criticism for facilitating the spread of false information, as well as enabling the dissemination of harmful content such as neo-Nazi, paedophilic, conspiratorial, and terrorist material. WhatsApp, a competitor messaging service, implemented global limits on message forwarding in response to allegations of spreading false information that incited violence in India.
Despite its popularity and commitment to user privacy, Telegram and its CEO Pavel Durov face legal challenges and accusations of disregarding criminal activities on the platform. The controversy surrounding Telegram reflects the broader debate on online moderation and the responsibility of tech companies to address harmful content. As legal proceedings progress, the outcome could have significant implications for Telegram’s future operations and the regulation of messaging apps in general.
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