This article was last updated on August 26, 2024
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French TV: Russian CEO of messaging app Telegram arrested in Paris
Russian tech billionaire Pavel Durov of the messaging app Telegram has been arrested in France, TV channel TF1 reports. When Durov landed with his private plane from Azerbaijan at Le Bourget airport near Paris, he was arrested, TF1 said based on sources.
The news has not yet been confirmed by authorities. The reason for his arrest has not yet been officially announced. The Russian embassy in France said it was taking “immediate steps” to clarify the arrest.
‘On French wanted list’
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 states that “Durov allowed numerous offenses and crimes to be committed on Telegram, without doing anything to moderate or cooperate (with the authorities).”
Pavel Durov left Russia in 2014 after refusing a government request to close certain opposition channels on VK. He now lives in Dubai.
Telegram was founded in 2013 by Russian brothers Nikolai and Pavel Durov, who are also the founders of VK, the Russian version of Facebook. Russia blocked Telegram in 2018 because the platform denied security services access to information. In practice, the platform remained largely accessible.
Telegram is frequently used to share (unfiltered) information about the war in Ukraine. Critics say there is also a lot of disinformation being spread, from both Russian and Ukrainian sources.
Telegram has not yet responded to the arrest of CEO Durov.
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