Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of the messaging service Telegram, was detained at a Paris airport on an arrest warrant alleging his platform has been used for money laundering, drug trafficking, and other offenses. He was taken into custody at Paris-Le Bourget Airport on Saturday evening after landing in France from Azerbaijan. The warrant for Durov was issued at the request of the special unit at the country’s interior ministry in charge of investigating crimes against minors, including online sexual exploitation. French prosecutors declined to comment on Durov’s arrest as the investigation is ongoing.
Telegram was founded by Durov and his brother in response to the Russian government’s crackdown following mass pro-democracy protests in Moscow in 2011 and 2012. The platform offered a way for Russians to communicate and share news in a repressive environment where internet providers were forced to block websites and store call records for security services. Russian authorities attempted to block Telegram in 2018 due to its refusal to hand over encryption keys but failed, and the ban was eventually lifted two years later. Telegram has also become a popular source of news in Ukraine during the war, with both media outlets and officials using it to share information and alerts.
French authorities notified Durov of his placement in police custody upon his arrival in France, following which he could appear before a judge to determine if he will remain in custody. Western governments have criticized Telegram for its lack of content moderation, which experts say opens it up for potential use in illicit activities like money laundering, drug trafficking, and the sharing of content linked to the sexual exploitation of minors. Messaging service WhatsApp has been more responsive to law enforcement, submitting over 1.3 million reports in 2023, whereas Telegram submitted none. Germany has fined Telegram for failing to comply with their laws, and Brazil temporarily suspended it for not providing data related to a police inquiry.
Russian government officials have expressed outrage at Durov’s arrest, with some highlighting what they see as a double standard on freedom of speech in the West. In 2018, several NGOs condemned the Russian court’s decision to block Telegram, raising the question of whether the same scrutiny will be applied to Durov’s situation in Paris. Russian Embassy officials in Paris requested access to Durov, but French authorities view his French citizenship as his primary one. In a statement earlier this month, Telegram said that it actively combats misuse of its platform, removing millions of pieces of harmful content each day through proactive monitoring and user reports.
The investigation into Durov and Telegram is ongoing, with French prosecutors yet to release further information. As the founder and CEO of the messaging service, Durov’s arrest raises questions about the platform’s role in enabling illegal activities and the ramifications for its operations. The impact of the crackdown on Telegram in various countries underscores the challenges of regulating social media platforms and ensuring compliance with local laws. The future of the messaging service remains uncertain as authorities and users alike grapple with concerns surrounding content moderation, privacy, and security.
