Billionaire Telegram CEO Pavel Durov Arrested In France
Pavel Durov, the Russian-born founder, owner and CEO of messaging app Telegram which is believed to have over 900 million monthly active users was arrested at the Bourget airport outside Paris on Saturday.
The 39-year-old Dubai-based tech boss with a reported net worth of over A$13 billion was arrested after his private jet landed at the airport under a warrant for alleged offences related to the messaging app.
Media reports have indicated that the investigation is believed to centre around insufficient moderation, with Durov accused of failing to take steps to curb criminal uses of Telegram.
The platform is accused of failing to cooperate with law enforcement over drug trafficking, child sexual content and fraud.
Telegram hit back in a statement that “its moderation is within industry standards and constantly improving”.
“It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner are responsible for abuse of that platform,” the app said.
“Almost a billion users globally use Telegram as means of communication and as a source of vital information.”
“We’re awaiting a prompt resolution of this situation. Telegram is with you all.”
On Sunday, judicial sources said that Durov’s detention was extended and could last for as long as 96 hours.
Durov founded Telegram in 2013, but left Russia in 2014 after refusing to comply with the government’s demands to shut down opposition communities on his VKontakte social media platform.
Durov is a Russian citizen, but is also reported to hold citizenship of the United Arab Emirates and France.
The Russian Embassy in France took to Facebook to note that it was seeking to “clarify the reasons for the detention and to provide for the protection of Mr Durov’s rights and facilitate consular access”. It added that the French authorities were not cooperating with Russian officials.
Telegram which is a popular app in countries such as Russia and Ukraine as well as those in the former Soviet Union states, permits groups of up to 200,000 members which critics argue allows the platform to facilitate a rapid dissemination of misinformation, disinformation and potentially illegal content.