As first reported by French television network TF1, Pavel Durov, the creator and CEO of the messaging app Telegram, was arrested on Saturday night when disembarking from his private jet at Le Bourget airport in France.
Though press reports have mostly relied on anonymous police sources, Durov’s detention has generated a lot of discussion and conjecture on social media, especially on Telegram. Telegram said in a statement that it is “awaiting a prompt resolution of this situation.”
A request for response from a representative of France’s national anti-fraud office, ONAF, was not answered. The Russian embassy in France reported that it had contacted French authorities to request an explanation but had not received a response.
Based on an initial police inquiry, Durov was facing a warrant in France, according to TF1. Durov is allegedly an accomplice to drug trafficking, money laundering, and the distribution of child pornography that take place on Telegram due to the company’s apparent lack of content moderation and refusal to work with law enforcement, according to reports from the French authorities.
More discussion about the extent to which messaging apps should be held accountable for the messages their users share will probably be sparked by the arrest.
Telegram stated in a statement that its moderation is “within industry standards and constantly improving,” and that it “abides by EU laws, including the Digital Services Act.” “It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner are responsible for abuse of that platform,” the argument went on.
- Durov’s net worth is estimated by Forbes to be $15.5 billion. Despite being born in Russia, he fled the nation in 2014 when he refused to comply with government demands to disclose information about Ukrainian protest leaders that he had stored on his old social network, Vkontakte. Durov apparently flew in from Azerbaijan on his plane, and he currently resides in Dubai, the home of Telegram.
