Telegram CEO Pavel Durov Detained in France Amid Allegations

Telegram CEO Pavel Durov Detained in France

French authorities detained Pavel Durov, the chief executive of the popular online messaging platform Telegram, on Saturday. His arrest is reportedly linked to allegations regarding the dissemination of illicit materials via the service, as detailed by various French news outlets.

Mr. Durov, 39, a Russian-born entrepreneur, was allegedly apprehended at Le Bourget Airport near Paris shortly after arriving from Azerbaijan. However, confirmation of his detention remains elusive at this time.

The Russian Embassy in France issued a statement on Sunday, indicating that they had sought clarification from French authorities regarding the reports of Mr. Durov’s arrest. Meanwhile, representatives from the French police and the Interior Ministry have chosen not to comment on the situation, redirecting inquiries to the Paris prosecutor’s office, which also refrained from providing details, citing an ongoing investigation.

Efforts to reach Telegram for comment have not been successful. This development comes at a time when Telegram, boasting over 900 million users, has attracted scrutiny from law enforcement agencies globally. The platform has been frequently utilized by various groups, including terrorist organizations, drug traffickers, arms dealers, and far-right extremists, for purposes such as communication, recruitment, and organization.

In recent times, national governments—particularly within the European Union—have escalated their pressure on social media companies to take action against disinformation and online extremism. Telegram has been noted for its relatively lax content moderation compared to similar platforms and has not always cooperated fully with authorities.

Pavel Durov, whose net worth is estimated by Bloomberg to exceed $9 billion, has largely managed to avoid the intense public scrutiny faced by other prominent tech executives, such as Elon Musk of X, Mark Zuckerberg of Meta, Shou Chew of TikTok, and Sundar Pichai of Google.

A Russian national, Mr. Durov fled Russia in 2014 after losing control of Vkontakte, which is considered a rival to Facebook in the Russian market. The previous year, he founded Telegram, promoting it as a platform for uncensored and private communication. Currently, the company operates from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Mr. Durov holds citizenship in both France and the U.A.E., according to official records from Telegram.