The founder of the encrypted messaging platform has been arrested in France. The company assures that the businessman “has nothing to hide”.
The founder and CEO of Telegram , Pavel Durov was arrested at Le Bourget airport in Paris, France after his private plane landed there on Saturday, August 24.
Authorities reported that the arrest of the 39-year-old billionaire was based on accusations related to the dissemination of illicit material in the social network of your property.
The telegram is an encrypted messaging app which he created in 2013 with his brother Nikolai Durov.
It is a platform above all popular in Russia Ukraine and the states of the former Soviet Union .
The investigation that led to Durov’s arrest is linked to the lack of moderators in your digital space.
Specifically, he is accused of failure to take steps to stop the use of Telegram for criminal purposes .
In the same way, as saved by the Bbc , It is alleged that he failed to cooperate with the authorities in cases of drug trafficking, fraud and sexual content involving children.
Although Durov Born in Russia, currently living in Dubai .
He has the citizenship of the United Arab Emirates and that of France .
What Telegram said about the arrest of its founder and CEO
The company sent a statement to the magazine time in which They assured that their system “is compliant with EU laws.” including the Digital Services Act.
“Their moderation is in line with industry standards and is constantly improving. Pavel Durov, Telegram CEO He has nothing to hide and travels frequently across Europe “, they added.
Under this line they stated that “it is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner is responsible of the abuse of this platform.
Durov’s lawyer, Dmitry Agranovsky, told Russian news agency RIA Novosti that the accusations were true. comparable to blaming a car manufacturer for accidents or for using those vehicles to commit crimes .
“This is absolutely ridiculous” he said, referring to his client’s arrest at Paris airport.
He also suggested that it was an attack on freedom of expression .
Why Pavel Durov left Russia
Pavel Durov, nicknamed by some “the Mark Zuckerberg of Russia”, He is also a co-founder of the social network VKontakte (VK) created in 2006.
A year after creating Telegram with his brother, He left the country in 2014 after refusing the Russian government’s demands to shut down opposition communities on VK. a company that eventually sold.
Telegram was banned in Russia in 2018 after the company refused to hand over its encryption keys to the Federal Security Service (FSB).
Armed with this information, the Russian authorities could have access to users’ messaging data .
However, after about two years, The ban was repealed in 2020 according to Time.
What is known about the investigation and who expressed support?
The Russian Embassy in France shared a statement on Sunday, August 25, in which it declared that They are trying to “clarify the reasons for the detention and ensure the protection of Durov’s rights.” as well as facilitating consular access.
In addition, They accused the French authorities of not cooperating with its officials.
A source familiar with the matter told the agency: Reuters that The investigation is being conducted by a cybersecurity gendarmerie unit and the national anti-fraud unit. of the French police.
He assured that The investigating judge is a specialist in organized crime .
For her part, the spokeswoman for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maria Zakharova, He wondered via Telegram whether Western human rights organizations would remain silent. for his arrest.
With such statements He referred to the criticism Russia faced in 2018. the year the social network ban began in the country.
Recognized voices from the business and cybersecurity worlds also spoke out about this.
Among them is former US intelligence agent Edward Snowden, who has been living in exile in Russia since 2013 and is accused via X (formerly Twitter) of having Durov’s arrest ‘is an attack on fundamental human rights of expression and association’ .
The tycoon who owns the social network, Elon Musk, also presented his position and responded in a post reporting the arrest: “It’s 2024 in Europe and they’re executing you because you like a meme” .
How big is Telegram?
In early 2024, Telegram reported reaching 900 million users .
But beyond the total amount, one of the points that has caused the most controversy is that The network allows groups of up to 200,000 members .
Those who criticize this argue that This scale facilitates the spread of disinformation and offensive speech. conspiracy theorist, linked to terrorism and attacks on certain communities.
Although the platform has removed some groups that may be harmful or linked to illicit activity, cybersecurity experts consulted by the BBC said that Its content moderation system is less effective than that of other applications and social networks .
Data retrieved by Forbes They specify that it is estimated that Durov’s net worth is around $15.5 billion .
Until the end of August 2024, He is ranked 120th on the billionaires list from the aforementioned magazine specializing in business and finance.
Source: Latercera
I am David Jack and I have been working in the news industry for over 10 years. As an experienced journalist, I specialize in covering sports news with a focus on golf. My articles have been published by some of the most respected publications in the world including The New York Times and Sports Illustrated.
