Telegram Founder And CEO Pavel Durov Arrested In France
The Russian embassy in France has reached out to the French government for clarification on the matter
Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of the popular messaging app Telegram, was arrested on Saturday evening at Le Bourget airport near Paris while disembarking from his private jet; after traveling from Azerbaijan alongside a woman and his bodyguard, the arrest was first reported by French television network TF1.
Durov’s arrest reportedly follows a search warrant issued by OFMIN, an agency responsible for combating child sexual exploitation in France, stemming from an ongoing preliminary investigation. According to TF1, the warrant was valid only in French territory, leading to speculation that Durov’s rare travel in Europe may have been an effort to avoid such an arrest. "He made a mistake tonight," a source told TF1. "Was this flight just a stopover? In any case, he's locked up."
Telegram, in response, issued a statement expressing its hope for a swift resolution and affirming its compliance with EU laws, including the Digital Services Act. The company defended its moderation practices, stating that its efforts are “within industry standards and constantly improving,” and calling accusations of complicity in criminal activities “absurd.”
Telegram, which has over 950 million active users globally, has been under increasing scrutiny from governments around the world for its encryption features and perceived lack of cooperation with law enforcement agencies. Despite having a small team of around 30 engineers, the app’s rapid growth continues to raise questions about how effectively it can manage the challenges posed by its scale and its role in moderating content shared by users.
Durov, who fled Russia in 2014 after resisting government demands for user data on his previous platform Vkontakte, now resides in Dubai. His net worth is estimated by Forbes to be $15.5 billion. Durov’s plane was reportedly flying in from Azerbaijan before landing in France.
