Telegram CEO Pavel Durov was arrested by French police at an airport near Paris for alleged offences related to his popular messaging app. The Franco-Russian billionaire, 39, was detained at Le Bourget airport after arriving from Baku, Azerbaijan. The arrest warrant issued by France’s OFMIN accuses Durov of offences including fraud, drug trafficking, cyberbullying, organized crime, and promotion of terrorism.
Telegram, based in Dubai, is known for its commitment to user privacy and has never disclosed user information. Durov, in a rare interview, mentioned facing pressure from the Russian government before launching the encrypted messaging app. Despite criticism for allowing the spread of illegal content, Telegram has gained over 900 million active users.
Unlike its competitors, Telegram allows large group chats of up to 200,000 members, raising concerns about the spread of false information. Competitor WhatsApp has implemented limits on message forwarding to curb the dissemination of false information. Durov’s arrest raises questions about accountability for platforms that enable criminal activity.