Telegram says CEO has ‘nothing to hide’ after being arrested in France

Telegram says its CEO and laminitis Pavel Durov has “nothing to hide” aft helium was arrested by French authorities extracurricular of Paris.

“It is absurd to assertion that a level oregon its proprietor are liable for maltreatment of that platform,” the institution says successful an unnamed statement posted to its authoritative transmission successful the Telegram app connected Sunday. French officials have confirmed to multiple outlets that Durov was arrested arsenic portion of a constabulary probe into transgression enactment taking spot connected the societal network.

While not encrypted by default, Telegram’s mostly hands-off attack to moderation means that the app is seen by galore arsenic a private, censorship-free alternate to different societal networks. “Almost a cardinal users globally usage Telegram arsenic means of connection and arsenic a root of captious information,” reads the company’s statement. “We’re awaiting a punctual solution of this situation.”

Telegram has besides been a captious root of information for the ongoing warfare betwixt Ukraine and Russia, the second of which appears to beryllium rather funny successful what happens to Durov. The Russian Embassy successful Paris says that the French authorities has truthful acold not granted it entree to Durov, who was calved successful Russia and holds citizenship successful some France and the United Arab Emirates, wherever Telegram is headquartered.

In a rare interrogation with Tucker Carlson successful April, Durov said Telegram’s extremity is to beryllium a “neutral” level and defy requests from governments to moderate. He said helium mostly avoids traveling to “big, geopolitical” countries wherever there’s “too overmuch attention” connected the company. “I question to places wherever I person assurance that those places are accordant with what we bash and our values.”