Pavel Durov, the renowned founder of Telegram, was arrested in France last Saturday at Le Bourget airport, just outside Paris. This arrest is linked to an ongoing investigation by the French police.
Details of the Arrest
Pavel Durov was arrested on Saturday night at Le Bourget airport, located near Paris. French authorities had been closely monitoring the businessman and had previously issued an arrest warrant for him. The primary reason for the arrest is allegations of insufficient content moderation on Telegram, which, according to authorities, has allowed illegal activities to thrive on the platform.
Background: Durov and Telegram
In 2014, Pavel Durov left Russia after refusing to shut down opposition groups on his previous social media network, VK. Since then, he has been living in Dubai, running Telegram, which now boasts 900 million active users. Durov has repeatedly stated that he aims to keep Telegram 'neutral' and free from geopolitical interference. Telegram has become especially popular in countries such as Russia, Ukraine, and other former Soviet states, where many residents use it for communication and news.
Authorities' Reaction and Community Response
French authorities accuse the platform of lacking adequate moderation, arguing that this has led to the proliferation of various illegal activities, including drug trafficking and other crimes. The Russian side also expressed its dissatisfaction: the Russian embassy in France stated that it had not received any information from Durov after his arrest and is taking 'immediate' steps to clarify the situation. Durov has a long history of clashes with governments over digital privacy and freedom of speech issues. In 2018, he attempted to launch the TON (Telegram Open Network) project, raising $1.7 billion to create the Gram cryptocurrency. However, this project faced significant obstacles from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which effectively shut it down.
The arrest of Pavel Durov in France underscores the ongoing challenges Telegram faces as its popularity grows and authorities increase their scrutiny. The situation's further development remains uncertain, but content moderation will undoubtedly remain a central issue for the platform.
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