Pavel Durov, the Russian-born billionaire founder and CEO of messaging app Telegram, was reportedly arrested by French authorities on Saturday evening.
According to Reuters, citing French media TF1 TV and BFM TV, Durov was arrested upon arrival in his private jet at Le Bourget airport outside Paris. An arrest warrant has reportedly been issued against the technology entrepreneur as part of a preliminary police investigation.
Newsweek asked the French Interior Ministry and Telegram for a comment via an online form on Saturday.
The investigation is reportedly centering on Telegram’s alleged lack of content moderation. French authorities claim this deficiency may have allowed criminal activity to flourish unhindered on the popular messaging platform, which has over 900 million active users worldwide and is known for its strong encryption and commitment to user privacy.
The app is extremely influential in Russia and Ukraine and is considered one of the most important social media platforms after Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram and TikTok. These features have made Telegram popular among people seeking secure communication channels, including activists, journalists and dissidents in authoritarian countries.
However, these very features have also drawn criticism from governments and law enforcement agencies, who argue that the platform could be misused by criminal elements.
Durov’s path to becoming one of the most influential figures in the tech industry is as fascinating as it is controversial. The Russian-born man first rose to fame as the founder of VK, often referred to as the “Russian Facebook.”
However, his refusal to comply with demands to close opposition communities on the platform led to his departure from Russia in 2014. Durov currently lives in Dubai and holds dual citizenship of the United Arab Emirates and France.
This conflict with the authorities over issues of freedom of expression and data protection was a recurring theme in Durov’s career.
In an interview with Tucker Carlson in April this year, Durov described his experiences with government pressure, not only from Russia but also from the United States.
The tech founder claimed that the US government was trying to create a “backdoor” in Telegram to potentially spy on its users. According to Durov, FBI agents approached one of his engineers to convince him to integrate certain open-source tools into Telegram’s code that could serve as backdoors.
Durov’s allegations against the U.S. government go beyond the alleged backdoor attempt. He reported instances where FBI agents greeted him at airports and even showed up for breakfast at his rented home. While Durov admitted the agents were “doing their job,” he expressed discomfort with the level of attention Telegram received from U.S. authorities.
The tech CEO also claimed to have received conflicting letters from members of Congress following the riots at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. One letter allegedly requested data from Telegram users who were allegedly involved in the riots, while another letter warned against sharing such data. Durov explained that due to the complexity of US domestic politics, Telegram decided to ignore both requests.
The timing of the incident is particularly notable as many countries are currently grappling with the regulation of social media and messaging platforms.
For example, the European Union (EU) recently implemented the Digital Services Act, which imposes new obligations on major technology companies to monitor illegal content on their platforms. France, a key member of the EU, is at the forefront of efforts to hold technology companies accountable for the content shared on their platforms.
As news of Durov’s alleged detention spreads, Telegram users around the world are closely watching how the situation unfolds. The platform has become an essential means of communication for many, and any disruption to its operation could have far-reaching consequences.
