Telegram’s CEO, Pavel Durov, has been detained in France as part of an investigation into the messaging app’s moderation practices. Durov was arrested at an airport north of Paris on Saturday under a warrant related to allegations that Telegram has failed to curb criminal activities on its platform, including drug trafficking, child sexual content, and fraud.
Officials claim that the investigation centers on insufficient moderation of the app, which has faced criticism for not fully cooperating with law enforcement efforts to combat illegal activities. The accusations suggest that Telegram’s lax approach has enabled the spread of harmful content, drawing scrutiny from European authorities.
In response, Telegram issued a statement defending its practices, stating, “Its moderation is within industry standards and constantly improving.” The company also pushed back against the notion that a platform or its owner should be held responsible for misuse, labeling the claims as “absurd.”
The app highlighted that Durov frequently travels in Europe and emphasized that Telegram adheres to European Union regulations, including the Digital Services Act, which seeks to ensure a safe and accountable online environment. “Almost a billion users globally use Telegram as means of communication and as a source of vital information,” the company stated, expressing optimism for a swift resolution to the situation.
According to sources quoted by AFP, Durov’s detention was extended on Sunday and could last up to 96 hours as the investigation continues.
Pavel Durov, 39, is a Russian-born entrepreneur who now resides in Dubai, where Telegram is headquartered. He holds citizenship in the United Arab Emirates and France. Telegram enjoys significant popularity in Russia, Ukraine, and other former Soviet states, although the app was briefly banned in Russia in 2018 after Durov refused to hand over user data. The ban was lifted in 2021.
Despite Durov’s departure from Russia in 2014, following his refusal to shut down opposition groups on his VKontakte social media platform, Russia still considers him a citizen. The Russian foreign ministry has stated that its embassy in France is actively working to clarify the circumstances of Durov’s detention and to ensure his rights are protected.
The ministry also noted that French authorities have not cooperated fully with Russian officials regarding the case. Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova took to Telegram to question whether Western human rights organizations would remain silent on Durov’s arrest, contrasting the current situation with past criticism of Russia’s efforts to restrict Telegram’s operations in the country.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov urged caution, suggesting it was prudent to wait for official charges, if any, before making further comments, as the precise reasons for Durov’s arrest remain unclear.
Telegram, which allows groups of up to 200,000 members, has faced criticism for enabling the spread of misinformation, extremist content, and illegal activities. In the UK, the app came under scrutiny after it was revealed that far-right channels on Telegram played a role in organizing recent violent disorder in several English cities. While Telegram did remove some of these groups, cybersecurity experts argue that the platform’s moderation efforts remain weaker compared to other social media and messaging apps.
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