French authorities have confirmed the detention of Pavel Durov, the Russian-born tech billionaire and CEO of the social messaging app Telegram. Reports from French media indicate that his detention is linked to alleged violations connected to the social media platform.
Authorities are reportedly preparing to charge Durov with serious offenses, including aiding terrorism, fraud, money laundering, and crimes against children. According to French officials, these charges allegedly arise from the platform’s minimal content moderation, which has made Telegram a preferred tool for organized crime.
The French news outlet TF1 first reported the news, citing sources close to the investigation. The source stated, “Pavel Durov is expected to remain in pretrial detention. His platform has facilitated countless offenses and crimes, with little to no moderation or cooperation from him.”
According to TF1, Durov was detained on Saturday night while returning from Azerbaijan on a private jet, which landed at Le Bourget airport near Paris.
Telegram’s statement
Telegram released its first official statement on Sunday regarding the detention of its CEO. The company expressed strong support for Durov and hopes for a swift resolution to the situation.
As of now, Durov’s status remains uncertain, with reports indicating that French authorities have not cooperated with the Russian embassy. French officials are expected to issue an official statement on Monday, August 26.
Telegram’s statement was posted on August 25 at around 12:00 PM PST via the platform’s Telegram News channel.
Since Pavel’s arrest, Toncoin, a digital asset associated with a blockchain project linked to Telegram, has seen a steep decline in its market value, losing approximately $2.7 billion.
Russia’s involvement
Pavel Durov was once seen as Russia’s answer to Mark Zuckerberg, but he left the country in 2014 after losing control of his social network due to his refusal to surrender data on Ukrainian opposition groups to Russian security agencies.
Following Durov’s recent arrest in France, Russia issued a diplomatic note demanding access to him, according to Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova, who spoke on Russian state TV. Zakharova noted that the French government considers Durov’s French citizenship as his primary nationality, reports The Washington Post.
In 2018, Russia attempted to ban Telegram after Durov refused to provide encryption keys and grant access to user messages, as required by Russian laws aimed at restricting internet freedoms.
Despite this, Russia has since used Telegram to disseminate regular, and at times graphic or misleading, updates on its military actions following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Ukrainian officials, including President Volodymyr Zelensky, have used the platform to present their own narrative of the conflict.
Musk, Snowden condemn the arrest
Key figures in the tech industry, including Edward Snowden and Elon Musk, have publicly condemned the arrest of Telegram founder Pavel Durov.
Snowden criticized the arrest as “an attack on the fundamental rights of free speech and association,” arguing that it damages France’s international standing.
Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, responded with sarcasm, highlighting growing concerns about censorship in his remarks. “It’s 2030 in Europe, and you’re being executed for liking a meme,” he quipped.
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Musk has consistently criticized Durov’s detention in a series of posts, viewing it as a threat to free speech. He posted, “Liberté Liberté! Liberté?” and later added, “Dangerous times.”
Musk also used the hashtag “#FreePavel” when sharing a video clip in which Durov praised Musk’s commitment to free speech during an interview with Tucker Carlson earlier this year.
It should be noted that despite Musk’s self-proclaimed stance as a free speech advocate, he has faced criticism for silencing his detractors, including firing employees who disagreed with him and banning accounts that were critical of him.
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Srishti Gupta Srishti studied English literature at the University of Delhi and has since then realized it's not her cup of tea. She has been an editor in every space and content type imaginable, from children's books to journal articles. She enjoys popular culture, reading contemporary fiction and nonfiction, crafts, and spending time with her cats. With a keen interest in science, Srishti is particularly drawn to beats covering medicine, sustainability, gene studies, and anything biology-related.
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