Telegram founder Pavel Durov arrested in France
Russian-born billionaire Pavel Durov was arrested over the weekend over alleged moderation concerns regarding criminal use of his messaging app.
Tech billionaire Pavel Durov (pictured), 39, was arrested at the weekend by French authorities after landing in the country on a private jet.
Durov, founder and owner of the popular secure messaging app Telegram, was arrested as part of an investigation into alleged cybercrimes and bullying on the platform, as well as terrorist activity and drug trafficking, which authorities allege Durov failed to take action suitable for braking. .
As regular readers of this site will know, Telegram is popular with a wide range of cybercriminals, from hacktivist groups to malware merchants and ransomware gangs, thanks to its end-to-end encryption.
So far there has been no official response from the French authorities, although his detention has since been extended. According the guardianAn officer involved in the investigation said “Enough impunity on Telegram” in response to the arrest.
Telegram said in a statement on X that Durov has nothing to hide.
“Telegram complies with EU laws, including Digital Services Law – its moderation is within industry standards and constantly improving,” Telegram said.
“Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has nothing to hide and frequently travels around Europe.
“It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner is responsible for the abuse of that platform.”
The company said it was awaiting a “prompt resolution” of the situation.
Russia has accused France of “refusing to cooperate” and that the Russian embassy was denied access to Durov while he was detained.
Durov has dual French and UAE citizenship and currently resides in Dubai, where Telegram is headquartered.
