Telegram’s Founder Reportedly Arrested in France Over Moderation Policy

Telegram’s cofounder Pavel Durov was arrested connected Saturday night, aft arriving astatine an airdrome respective miles northbound of Paris successful a backstage jet, according to French quality outlets BFMTV and TF1. Both outlets study that the billionaire CEO was the taxable of a French hunt warrant implicit the app’s deficiency of moderators, and its alleged usage successful cause trafficking, wealth laundering, and the organisation of kid maltreatment material.

So far, neither French authorities nor Durov person enactment retired statements connected the arrest. However, Telegram commented connected X, formerly Twitter, that “Durov has thing to hide,” and Russian officials condemned the detainment arsenic an onslaught connected escaped speech. X proprietor Elon Musk besides posted astir moderation and free speech pursuing the reports.

A station connected Telegram’s X relationship said the institution “abides by EU laws” and its moderation efforts are “within manufacture standards.” The station continued, “It is absurd to assertion that a level oregon its proprietor are liable for maltreatment of that platform.”

The institution added that it is “awaiting a punctual resolution.”

Durov was calved successful Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg) and is simply a naturalized national of France and the United Arab Emirates. Before Telegram, the tech enforcement cofounded VKontakte, Russia’s reply to Facebook. Durov reportedly sold his involvement successful VKontakte and near Russia over authorities censorship demands. Telegram is presently headquartered successful Dubai.

In July, Durov said helium was a sperm donor, had “over 100 biologic kids,” and announced a program to “open-source [his] DNA.”

Telegram has reportedly censored immoderate contented successful the past, including Hamas channels and “public calls for violence” pursuing the attack connected the U.S. Capitol. Yet, governments often clash with Telegram implicit its stance connected contented moderation and usage successful protests. Russia attempted to ban Telegram aft the steadfast refused to manus implicit encryption keys successful 2018. A twelvemonth later, Durov claimed China launched cyber attacks against the work to suppress protests successful Hong Kong. Cuba blocked the app successful 2021 amid protests implicit the government’s effect to Covid-19, and 2 years later, a Spanish tribunal briefly blocked Telegram entree pursuing copyright complaints from section media groups.