French authorities arrested Pavel Durov, the CEO of the popular messaging app Telegram, on Saturday, after he arrived from Azerbaijan on his private jet at Le Bourget airport, near Paris.
While Durov is being accused of “failing to take action to curb the criminal use of his platform,” the arrest reportedly involved officers from several French agencies.
The arrest was jointly conducted by the Air Transport Gendarmerie (GTA), the Cyberspace Gendarmerie Command (COMCyberGEND), the National Anti-Fraud Office (ONAF), and the Border Police (PAF).
Durov faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
The news of Durov’s arrest has sparked reactions from all corners.
On one hand, reactionaries on social media claimed that France is cracking down on criminal activities facilitated by Telegram’s encrypted messaging platform.
On the other hand, however, free speech advocates like Edward Snowden and Leonid Volkov, an advisor to Alexei Navalny, have come forward to criticise France’s actions.
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
— Мессенджер Telegram, безусловно, лучший продукт своего класса; Павлу Дурову с совсем небольшой командой удался настоящий прорыв, и огромный успех Telegam является совершенно заслуженным,
— Свобода и успех всегда идут в комплекте с ответственностью, и чем ты больше и успешнее,…
— Leonid Volkov (@leonidvolkov) August 25, 2024
Free speech advocates from across the board have argued that the move is an attempt to control a platform that supports free speech.
Telegram maintains minimal oversight over its 900 million users worldwide.
Businessman and investor Elon Musk too has expressed concerns over European authorities arresting Pavel Durov.
In multiple posts on X (previously Twitter), Musk described the arrest as an attack on free speech and demanded justice for Durov.
It is vital to the support of free speech that you forward 𝕏 posts to people you know, especially in censorship-heavy countries
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 25, 2024
Musk, who sparked a lot of buzz a couple of years ago over his acquisition of American social media company Twitter, didn’t shy away from accusing Meta Founder Mark Zuckerberg of “caving into censorship pressure.”
“…..he already caved into censorship pressure. Instagram has a massive child exploitation problem, but no arrest for Zuck, as he censors free speech and gives governments backdoor access to user data,” the X owner posted.
Because he already caved into censorship pressure.
Instagram has a massive child exploitation problem, but no arrest for Zuck, as he censors free speech and gives governments backdoor access to user data.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 25, 2024
While reactions are still pouring in, an anonymous source speaking to Agence France-Presse, France has confirmed that France extended Durov’s detention beyond the initial 24 hours.
As per French media reports, French authorities can extend detention for up to 96 hours without formally charging him.
⚖️ Telegram abides by EU laws, including the Digital Services Act — its moderation is within industry standards and constantly improving.
✈️ Telegram’s CEO Pavel Durov has nothing to hide and travels frequently in Europe.
😵💫 It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner…
— Telegram Messenger (@telegram) August 25, 2024
After this period, France will either charge Durov with crimes or release him.
Meanwhile, Russian authorities have condemned France’s actions, accusing France of refusing to cooperate.
Russian news outlet Tass reported that the embassy has not received any appeals from Durov’s team but is proactively working to address the matter.
Durov is expected to appear in court on Sunday.
As per speculation, French authorities may press multiple charges on the Telegram CEO.
Meanwhile, Telegram came to its co-founder’s defence and released a statement over the arrest and current situation.
“Telegram abides by EU laws, including the Digital Services Act – its moderation is within industry standards and constantly improving,” the statement by Durov’s company reads.
The statement further mentions, “Telegram’s CEO Pavel Durov has nothing to hide and travels frequently in Europe. It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner is responsible for the abuse of that platform. We’re awaiting a prompt resolution of this situation.”
Pavel Durov left Russia when the government tried to control his social media company, Telegram. But in the end, it wasn’t Putin who arrested him for allowing the public to exercise free speech. It was a western country, a Biden administration ally and enthusiastic NATO member,…
— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) August 24, 2024
Pavel Durov, 39, originally from Russia, co-founded Telegram with his brother Nikolai in 2013.
Telegram is one of the most downloaded apps globally, boasting 900 million users.
Durov left Russia in 2014 after he refused to comply with the Russian government’s demands to shut down opposition groups on his VK social media platform.
He eventually sold the platform.
Telegram is known for its less stringent moderation compared to other communication apps.
This is the primary reason why many experts believe Durov was arrested.
The app is seen as a popular platform for criminals and troublemakers, allowing activities like money laundering and drug trafficking without much oversight.
Statement from the TON Community
Following the recent news related to the Telegram’s founder Pavel Durov, we want to assure everyone that the TON community remains strong and fully operational.
As a community committed to freedom of speech and decentralization, we stand firmly…
— TON 💎 (@ton_blockchain) August 24, 2024
Durov is accused of not implementing adequate measures to prevent criminal use of Telegram.
The app has been often criticised for not cooperating with law enforcement and providing tools like cryptocurrency that facilitate illegal activities.
The owner of Telegram, Pavel Durov, has just been arrested in France for failing to censor the truth on his application.
Potential charges include support for terrorism, drug trafficking, complicity in crimes, mass fraud, money laundering, concealment, pedophile content,…
— Andrew Tate (@Cobratate) August 24, 2024
He currently resides in Dubai and holds dual citizenship with the United Arab Emirates and France.
Answer. Pavel Durov’s arrest in France is related to the lack of moderation on Telegram has facilitated illegal activities including money laundering, drug trafficking, and the sharing of pedophilic content.
Answer. While no official charges have been made as of now, Durov is being accused of “failing to take action to curb the criminal use of his platform.”
The arrest reportedly involved officers from several French agencies.
Answer. Telegram is known for its less stringent moderation compared to other communication apps.
The app is seen as a popular platform for criminals and troublemakers, allowing activities like money laundering and drug trafficking without much oversight.
The app has been often criticised for not cooperating with law enforcement and providing tools like cryptocurrency that facilitate illegal activities.
Answer. Russian authorities have condemned France’s actions, accusing France of refusing to cooperate.
Russian news outlet Tass reported that the embassy has not received any appeals from Durov’s team but is proactively working to address the matter.
Answer. Telegram was founded in 2013 by brothers Nikolai and Pavel Durov.
It is a cloud-based, cross-platform, social media and instant messaging (IM) service.
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