Telegram calls arrest of CEO Pavel Durov in France ‘absurd’

This article was last updated on August 27, 2024

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Telegram calls arrest of CEO Pavel Durov in France ‘absurd’

Telegram founder Pavel Durov “has nothing to hide”. The platform said this in response to the arrest of the CEO in France. The messaging app calls it “absurd” to hold a platform or its owner responsible for misuse of that service.

The French TV channel TF1 previously reported, based on sources, that Russian tech billionaire Durov was arrested on Saturday after he landed at Le Bourget Airport near Paris with his private plane. The news has not yet been confirmed by authorities. The reason for his arrest has not yet been officially announced.

According to TF1, the 39-year-old Russian was on a French wanted list and was arrested because Telegram shares little or no information about its users and uses too few moderators, giving criminals free rein. According to French justice, the company’s management is complicit in drug trafficking, fraud, terrorism and money laundering, among other things, according to TF1.

One of the TV channel’s sources stated that “Durov allowed numerous offenses and crimes to be committed on Telegram, without doing anything to moderate them or cooperate with the authorities.”

leave Russia

The messaging app says in the reaction today to comply with EU law, including the Digital Services Act. According to the company, moderation is within industry standards and is constantly being improved. “We are waiting for a quick resolution of this situation. Telegram stands behind you all,” the platform concludes the response.

Telegram was founded in 2013 by Russian brothers Nikolai and Pavel Durov, who are also the founders of VK, the Russian version of Facebook. Pavel Durov left Russia in 2014 after refusing a government request to close certain opposition channels on VK. He now lives in Dubai. The Russian embassy in France has said it is willing to help Durov.