Pavel Durov, the CEO of the messaging app Telegram, has been detained in France. On Monday, a French police spokesperson informed Reuters that Durov is under investigation by the national cyber-crime unit and national fraud office for alleged offenses related to content on the Telegram platform.
Telegram responded to the arrest by asserting that "it is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner is responsible for abuse of that platform."
**Who is Pavel Durov?**
Durov, 39, is a Russian-born billionaire who founded VKontakte, a popular social media network in Russia. In 2014, he left Russia after refusing government demands to shut down opposition groups on VKontakte. He later established Telegram in 2013 and now operates the company from Dubai, where he resides. Durov holds citizenship in both the UAE and France, though Russia still considers him a citizen.
Durov frequently travels throughout Europe. In an interview with conservative US media figure Tucker Carlson in April, he stated that he would refuse certain requests from authorities to remove content from Telegram if it conflicted with his values of free speech and privacy.
**What is Telegram?**
Telegram is a major global social media and messaging platform, alongside Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok, and WeChat. Durov claimed in July that Telegram has 950 million monthly active users. The platform is popular in Russia and Ukraine and is also used by pro-democracy groups in Iran and Hong Kong.
Telegram offers encryption, which secures messages between the sender and receiver, though this is not the default setting. Unlike WhatsApp, which limits group sizes to 1,000 users, Telegram allows groups of up to 200,000 members. This feature has led to criticisms regarding the spread of disinformation and extremist content.
The platform has faced scrutiny in the UK for hosting far-right channels linked to recent violent incidents in English cities. Cybersecurity experts have criticized Telegram for its weaker moderation of extremist and illegal content compared to other platforms.
In response to Durov's arrest, Telegram stated that its moderation practices "are within industry standards and constantly improving." The company affirmed its compliance with European Union laws, including the Digital Services Act, which aims to ensure a safe online environment. Telegram's statement emphasized its global user base and expressed a desire for a swift resolution of the situation.
**Reactions to Durov's Arrest**
Details about the specific charges against Durov remain unclear, but his arrest is notable as it is uncommon for the owner of a social media platform to be detained due to content on their service.
Elon Musk posted "#FreePavel" on X (formerly Twitter), alongside a clip of Durov discussing changes Musk had made after acquiring the platform. Edward Snowden, the American whistleblower now residing in Russia, described Durov's arrest as an "assault on the basic human rights of speech and association," expressing disappointment in French President Emmanuel Macron for what he perceived as hostage-taking to access private communications.
President Macron responded on social media, stating that there had been "false information" about the arrest and clarifying, "This is in no way a political decision. It is up to the judges to decide."
