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Telegram emphasised that Durov has ’nothing to hide’ and criticised the arrest as baseless, stating, ‘It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner is responsible for the abuse of that platform.’ Telegram also expressed hope for a prompt resolution to the situation read more
 "Telegram claims that it abides by all EU laws as CEO Durov’s detention extended following arrest in France")
Pavel Durov, who currently resides in Dubai and holds citizenship in both France and the United Arab Emirates, was detained under an arrest warrant issued by OFMIN, a French agency dedicated to combating violence against minors. Image Credit: Reuters, Reuters
Telegram, the popular messaging app, has raised questions about the legitimacy of the detention of its CEO, Pavel Durov, who was arrested at Le Bourget airport in Paris over the weekend. Durov, who is 39 years old, was detained on suspicion of failing to prevent the criminal use of Telegram, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP).
His initial detention was extended by 24 hours late on Sunday, as confirmed by a judicial official.
In response to the arrest, Telegram issued a statement both on its platform and on X (formerly known as Twitter), asserting that the company fully complies with European laws, including the Digital Services Act.
The company emphasised that Durov has “nothing to hide” and criticised the arrest as baseless, stating, “It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner is responsible for the abuse of that platform.” Telegram also expressed hope for a prompt resolution to the situation.
Pavel Durov, who currently resides in Dubai and holds citizenship in both France and the United Arab Emirates, was detained under an arrest warrant issued by OFMIN, a French agency dedicated to combating violence against minors.
According to AFP, OFMIN is coordinating a preliminary investigation into several alleged offences, including fraud, drug trafficking, cyberbullying, organised crime, and the promotion of terrorism.
In response to Durov’s detention, the Russian embassy in Paris requested an explanation from French authorities and demanded the protection of Durov’s rights, including consular access. The embassy stated that it is in contact with Durov’s lawyer to ensure his legal rights are upheld.
The arrest of Durov has had a significant impact on Toncoin, a cryptocurrency associated with Telegram, which reportedly dropped by as much as 23 per cent following the news of his detention.
Telegram, which was created by Pavel Durov and his brother Nikolai, has grown to become one of the most popular messaging apps in the world, boasting around 900 million active users. However, its approach to content moderation has led to allegations that the platform is often used for criminal activities and the distribution of extremist material.
The Durov brothers first gained prominence in the tech world through the creation of VKontakte, a Russian social network they launched in 2006. VKontakte quickly became popular in Russia but also attracted unwanted attention from individuals with connections to the Kremlin. In 2014, Pavel Durov fled Russia and sold his stake in VKontakte, eventually amassing a net worth of over $9 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
In an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson in April, Durov discussed the challenges he faced from Russian authorities while running VKontakte and the ongoing scrutiny of Telegram by law enforcement agencies worldwide. He emphasised his desire for freedom and independence, stating, “I would rather be free, I wouldn’t want to take orders from anyone.”
As the situation continues to unfold, the extended detention of Pavel Durov has drawn significant attention, raising broader questions about the responsibilities of tech platforms in preventing criminal activities and the implications of such responsibilities on global freedom of communication.
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English (US) ·