Pavel Durov, the Russian-French billionaire and founder of the widely-used Telegram messaging app, was detained at Bourget Airport near Paris on Saturday evening, according to reports from French media outlets TF1 and BFM TV.
Durov, who was aboard his private jet at the time, was apprehended under an arrest warrant issued in France as part of an ongoing police investigation. The probe is reportedly centered on Telegram’s alleged lack of adequate moderation, which authorities believe has allowed criminal activities to proliferate on the platform.
Durov, known for his staunch advocacy for privacy and free speech, faces potential indictment on Sunday, French media reported. The arrest has ignited a global debate, drawing sharp criticism from high-profile figures and free speech advocates.
Elon Musk, the owner of X (formerly Twitter), tweeted, “It’s 2030 in Europe and you’re being executed for liking a meme,” highlighting concerns over escalating censorship.
Similarly, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who recently exited the U.S. presidential race to endorse Donald Trump, emphasized the urgent need to protect free speech in light of Durov’s arrest. Russian bloggers and activists have called for worldwide protests at French embassies, demanding Durov’s release.
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Telegram, which boasts nearly one billion users, has been instrumental in shaping the digital landscape, especially in Russia, Ukraine, and other former Soviet republics. The platform has become a crucial source of unfiltered information—sometimes controversial—about the ongoing war in Ukraine and other global conflicts.
After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Telegram emerged as a primary platform for disseminating war-related content from both sides. It is heavily utilized by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian officials alike, turning it into what some analysts call a “virtual battlefield” of propaganda and real-time updates.
Durov, who founded Telegram with his brother in 2013, left Russia in 2014 after refusing to shut down opposition groups on his previous platform, VKontakte. Despite facing pressure from multiple governments, Durov has consistently maintained that Telegram should remain a “neutral platform” and not be swayed by geopolitical forces.
However, the platform’s rapid growth has attracted scrutiny, particularly in Europe, where concerns about security and data breaches have intensified. France’s investigation into Telegram’s moderation practices is the latest in a series of regulatory challenges facing the platform.
The Russian government has expressed concern over Durov’s arrest, with the foreign ministry calling on Western NGOs to demand his release. Russia has a complicated history with Telegram, having attempted to ban the app in 2018 after it refused to grant state security services access to its encrypted messages. The move sparked widespread protests in Moscow and was seen as an attack on digital freedom.
As the situation unfolds, Durov’s arrest in France could have far-reaching implications for the ongoing battle between governments and tech companies over the limits of free speech and privacy in the digital age.
