In a dramatic development, Pavel Durov, the billionaire founder and CEO of Telegram, was arrested at the Bourget airport near Paris on Saturday evening, according to reports by TF1 and BFM TV. Durov, who was traveling aboard his private jet from Azerbaijan, was apprehended under an arrest warrant issued in France as part of a preliminary police investigation. The investigation is reportedly centered on Telegram’s lack of moderation, which authorities believe has allowed criminal activities to thrive on the platform.
Telegram, a major social media platform particularly influential in Russia, Ukraine, and the former Soviet Union, has grown to 900 million active users and aims to reach one billion within the next year. Despite its widespread use, especially during the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Telegram has faced criticism for its role in disseminating unfiltered and sometimes misleading content.
Durov, who left Russia in 2014 after refusing government demands to shut down opposition communities on his VK platform, has maintained that Telegram should remain a neutral platform. The arrest has raised concerns about the future of Telegram and its role in global communications.
