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The case against Telegram CEO that led to his arrest in France

Explained: The case against Telegram CEO that led to his arrest in France

Pavel Durov, the CEO of popular messaging app Telegram, was arrested by French police at Le Bourget airport north of Paris on Saturday evening. The 39-year-old French-Russian billionaire, who had arrived from Baku, Azerbaijan, is due to appear in court on Sunday to face the serious charges, sources told AFP.

Why was Pavel Durov arrested?

The arrest came as part of a preliminary investigation led by France's OFMIN (Office for the Prevention of Violence against Minors). The office had issued an arrest warrant against Mr Durov, charging him with, among other things, money laundering, drug trafficking and the dissemination of child sexual abuse content on Telegram. The lack of moderation on the platform and its alleged use by criminal groups were at the heart of the investigation.

Local news channels BFMTV and TF1 reported that the investigation focused on the possible exploitation of Telegram by criminal organizations, as well as Mr Durov's alleged failure to take effective measures to prevent illegal activities on the platform.

American commentator Tucker Carlson said Telegram's CEO was arrested because he refused to “censor the truth.”

“Pavel Durov sits in a French prison tonight and is a living warning to all platform owners who refuse to censor the truth at the behest of governments and intelligence services,” he wrote on X.

“Russia’s Mark Zuckerberg”

Pavel Durov, often referred to as the “Mark Zuckerberg of Russia,” has a history of ignoring government demands. Before founding Telegram, he created Vkontakte (VK), Russia's largest social network. However, in 2014, he was forced to leave the country because he refused to comply with government orders to hand over data of Ukrainian protesters. Since then, Mr. Durov has lived in various countries, eventually settling in Dubai, where Telegram is headquartered.

His stance on privacy and his refusal to censor content on Telegram have made him a controversial figure. In an interview with Tucker Carlson earlier this year, Mr. Durov stressed that he wanted to keep Telegram “neutral” and free from geopolitical influences.

“End Telegram’s impunity”

On Saturday, one of the investigators said they were surprised that Durov had come to Paris, even though they knew he was a wanted man. “End Telegram's impunity,” the investigator said, according to AFP.

Meanwhile, the Russian Foreign Ministry said it was taking steps to “clarify” the situation, particularly whether Telegram's founder was actually arrested. Pavel Durov, who became a naturalized French citizen in August 2021, also holds citizenship of the United Arab Emirates.

About Telegram

Telegram is known for its end-to-end encryption and commitment to user privacy. With nearly a billion users, it is one of the most downloaded apps worldwide. Its focus on security has made it a preferred platform for users who value privacy. However, this feature has also made it attractive to criminal organizations and extremist groups.

In recent years, Telegram has been criticized for enabling the spread of disinformation, extremist content and illegal activities, including far-right activism that sparked violence. Despite these controversies, the platform remains popular, especially in regions such as Russia, Ukraine and other former Soviet states, including in conflict zones, where it serves as an important communications tool.

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