Telegram's Pavel Durov
Pavel Durol, Founder of Telegram Messaging App, Detained in France Over Multiple Charges
French officials were said to have detained the French-Russian millionaire who founded the messaging app Telegram, Pavel Durov, as he was exiting an airport outside of Paris.
According to CNN affiliate BFMTV, Mr Durov was held after landing his private jet at Le Bourget Airport on a warrant for crimes involving the famous chat app.
Telegram, an encrypted messaging service with about one billion users, is especially popular in Russia, Ukraine, and the former Soviet countries.
It is regarded as one of the world’s leading social media sites, alongside Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok, and WeChat.
Despite the platform’s significance, Telegram has failed to react to Reuters’ requests for comment.
The probe is purportedly concerned over the lack of moderators, with Mr Durov,
39-year-old billionaire accused of neglecting to take action to prevent unlawful use of Telegram.
The app has been accused of failing to comply with law enforcement in cases involving drug trafficking, child sexual content, and fraud.
Telegram has previously denied using insufficient moderation.
One of the detectives told AFP they were astonished that Durov entered France despite the order against him, saying “Enough of Telegram’s impunity.”
Similarly, the French Interior Ministry and police have not issued any announcements on the arrest.
The Russian Foreign Ministry has raised concerns about Durov’s arrest in France and has asked for his release, claiming that Western non-governmental organisations should help his case.
The arrest has, indeed, caused widespread worldwide outrage, recalling previous disputes between Durov and Russia, including the 2018 effort to ban Telegram when the business refused to give Russian security forces access to encrypted user communications.
Telegram has, of course, released several business-focused features aimed at enhancing client engagement and streamlining communication.
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