Telegram founder arrested in France in cybercrime investigation

telegram Founder allegedly been arrested in France as part of a cybersecurity investigation.

Pavel Durov, the Russian-born billionaire behind the popular messaging app, was arrested at Le Bourget airport outside Paris and taken into custody shortly after a private jet landed late Saturday (24 August), Reuters reported.

According to the report, a police source said the arrest was part of a preliminary investigation into whether Telegram allowed a range of criminal activities on its platform due to a lack of moderators. The investigation is also looking into the company's lack of cooperation with police, the source said.

According to the report, a gendarmerie cybersecurity unit and the French police's national anti-fraud unit are leading the investigation, along with an investigating judge specializing in organized crime.

The company said on Sunday (25 August):and says: that it complies with European laws, including the Digital Services Act, and that its moderation complies with industry standards.

“It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner Are responsible for abuse this platform,” the company said. “Nearly a billion users worldwide use Telegram as means of communication and as a source of important information. “We are waiting for a quick solution to this situation. Telegram is with you all.”

Earlier this year, Telegram announced that it Switching to crypto payments for his Advertisers, and crypto payouts for content creators who use its app, with the Open Network (better known as TON Blockchain) and its native cryptocurrency Toncoin.

“We chose the TON blockchain because it has low fees and high transaction speeds – and holds a record for the number of transactions it can process per second,” the messaging app said in a statement about the launch.

Earlier this year, Durov told the Financial Times he was considering taking Dubai-based Telegram public, Also notes The company had 900 million user, and generates “hundreds of millions of dollars” in revenue from advertising and premium subscription services.

“We hope, profitable next yearif not this year,” he said in his first public interview since 2017.

Durov, who owns 100% of Telegram, said the platform has been “offered valuations of over $30 billion” by potential investors, including “global late-stage tech funds.” However, the company has no plans to sell while it considers a possible initial public offering (IPO).

“The main reason we started monetizing is that we wanted to remain independent,” he said. “In general, we see value in [an IPO] as a means to democratize access to Telegram’s value.”