Telegram CEO Pavel Durov arrested in France over alleged app-linked illegal activities

Pavel Durov, founder and CEO of Telegram, was reportedly arrested in France on Saturday evening while disembarking from his private jet at Bourget airport. The news, initially reported by French television network TF1, has sparked widespread discussion and speculation across social media platforms, including Telegram.

Neither Telegram nor France’s national anti-fraud office, ONAF, have provided comments on the matter. The arrest is linked to a preliminary police investigation, with French authorities alleging that Telegram’s inadequate content moderation and lack of cooperation with law enforcement have implicated Durov in drug trafficking, money laundering, and the dissemination of child pornography via the app. Telegram’s rising popularity in recent years has drawn increased scrutiny from several European countries, including France, particularly concerning security and data breach issues.

Durov is known as an old-school cyber-libertarian, strongly advocating for privacy and encryption, a stance that has resonated with debates in the US regarding law enforcement’s access to encrypted communications. The arrest has prompted calls from several Russian bloggers for protests at French embassies worldwide, while news about the future of the executive and the app is still awaited.

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