French authorities arrest Telegram CEO Pavel Durov at a Paris airport for ‘Content Moderation Failures’
The CEO and co-founder of the well-known messaging service Telegram, Pavel Durov, was taken into custody on Saturday night at Paris-Le Bourget Airport. According to the French authorities, Durov is suspected of drug trafficking, money laundering, and other crimes. He may spend up to 20 years in prison.
Durov, a dual citizen of France and Russia, was taken into custody by National Anti-Fraud Office investigators. The organization claimed that Telegram had served as a venue for illegal activity, such as the exploitation of children.
Because the investigation is still ongoing, French prosecutors declined to comment on the arrest. Nevertheless, rumors in the media indicate that the nation’s special unit for crimes against minors requested the issuance of the warrant for Durov’s arrest.
A French legal official made a suggestion that Pavel Durov would be the subject of a court hearing on Sunday to determine whether or not he would be placed under arrest. This suggestion came from the official, whose identity remained under wraps because the investigation is still ongoing.
The anonymous official stated that “if the person concerned is to be brought before a judge today, it is only in the context of the possible extension of his police custody measure — a decision that must be taken and notified by an investigating judge.”
In reaction to the Russian government’s crackdown on online dissent after large-scale protests in 2011 and 2012, Durov and his brother founded Telegram. Russians looking to communicate freely found the app to be a popular choice due to its privacy-focused approach.
Although Telegram has been blocked by Russian authorities, it is still widely used in Russia and Ukraine. During the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, Telegram serves as the main source of news and alerts.
Telegram’s lax policies regarding content moderation have alarmed Western authorities, as they are perceived as providing a haven for potentially dangerous content. Experts caution that because of this careless approach, criminals and child predators may exploit the platform.
Telegram was previously fined by Germany in 2022 for breaking its content moderation laws. The business was charged by the Federal Office of Justice for failing to set up an appropriate system for reporting unlawful content.
Outraged by Durov’s detention, Russian officials have accused the West of applying different rules to free speech. Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, blasted the West for criticizing Russia’s 2018 decision to block Telegram.
“In 2018, a group of 26 NGOs, including Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, Freedom House, Reporters Without Borders, the Committee to Protect Journalists, and others, condemned the Russian court’s decision to block Telegram,” Maria Zakharova, a Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman stated.
“Do you think this time they’ll appeal to Paris and demand Durov’s release?” Zakharova added in a Telegram post on her account.
The founder of Telegram, Pavel Durov, was approached by Russian diplomats in Paris, a spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry named Maria Zakharova said in a statement. Nonetheless, French authorities stated that Durov’s primary citizenship is France.
