The CEO and founder of the well-known messaging program Telegram, Pavel Durov, was unexpectedly detained on Saturday night at Le Bourget Airport, which is north of Paris. Durov, who is a dual citizen of France and Russia, was arrested not long after arriving in Azerbaijan on his aircraft.
Durov (39) was arrested by French police on a warrant connected to ongoing inquiries into Telegram’s moderation policies. The website has come under fire for reportedly not doing enough to stop illegal activity, such as drug trafficking, child exploitation, and fraud. Telegram has always refuted any inadequacy in its moderation efforts, despite these accusations.
Background on Pavel Durov
Pavel Durov, who has dual French & United Arab Emirates citizenship, nicknamed the “Mark Zuckerberg of Russia,” launched Telegram in 2013. He was born in Russia and now lives in Dubai, where Telegram’s headquarters are located. The application quickly gained popularity thanks to its strong encryption and commitment to consumer privacy. Prior to Telegram, Durov built Russia’s largest social network, VKontakte (VK), which he sold after refusing government demands to shut down opposition networks.
The arrest has prompted a global outcry. Prominent personalities, including Edward Snowden, claimed that Mr. Durov’s arrest “was an assault on the basic human rights of speech and association” on X.
The arrest of @Durov is an assault on the basic human rights of speech and association. I am surprised and deeply saddened that Macron has descended to the level of taking hostages as a means for gaining access to private communications. It lowers not only France, but the world.
— Edward Snowden (@Snowden) August 25, 2024
Elon Musk, the owner of X, has been vocal about the issue and has received a lot of flak for the content and moderating of his own social networking platform, which he hash tagged #freepavel.
#FreePavel
pic.twitter.com/B7AcJWswMs— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 25, 2024
In response to Pavel Durov’s arrest, Telegram has emphasized that it complies with EU laws and that it has “nothing to hide.” The company also said that its moderation procedures are industry-standard and are always being improved. Telegram also called the charges against Durov “absurd” and defended the platform’s dedication to privacy and security.
