Wat-Not Staff
Pavel Durov, the CEO of Telegram, was taken into custody by French authorities at an airport located to the north of Paris. According to French media, Mr. Durov was taken into custody following his private jet’s landing at Le Bourget Airport.
What went wrong?
Officials claim that the 39-year-old billionaire was taken into custody on a warrant for offenses involving the well-known chat app. According to reports, Mr. Durov is being investigated for allegedly not moderating his Telegram account and for not taking action to stop illegal usage of the messaging app. The app is accused of fraud, child sex content, and drug trafficking, as well as of not assisting law enforcement in these matters. In the past, Telegram has refuted claims of inadequate moderation.
Born in Russia, Pavel Durov currently resides in Dubai, the home of Telegram. He is a dual citizen of France and the United Arab Emirates. In particular, Telegram is well-liked in the former Soviet Union states of Russia and Ukraine. 2018 saw the app banned in Russia due to the developer’s prior refusal to provide user data. The prohibition was lifted in 2021. One of the most popular social media networks, following Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok, and Wechat, is Telegram.
In 2013, Mr. Durov launched Telegram. After defying orders from the authorities to close down opposition communities on his sold social networking platform VKontakte, he departed Russia in 2014. Seeking to “clarify the reasons for the detention and to provide for the protection of Mr. Durov’s rights and facilitate consular access,” the Russian Embassy in France posted a message on Facebook on Sunday. The post went on to say that French authorities had not been assisting Russian authorities. Speaking on Telegram, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova questioned whether Western human rights organizations would remain silent about Mr. Durov’s detention following their criticism of Russia for attempting to “create obstacles” to Telegram’s operations in the country in 2018.
Is it a Political Propoganda?
The businessman’s arrest was denounced by a number of Russian politicians, who claimed that it demonstrated the West’s hypocrisy towards democracy and free speech. Living in exile in Russia since 2013, American whistleblower Edward Snowden stated on X that Mr. Durov’s detention “was an assault on the basic human rights of speech and association.”
X owner Elon Musk, who has faced extensive criticism over moderation and material hosted by his own social media site, posted repeatedly about the situation.
He hashtagged one post #freepavel, and in another wrote: “POV [Point of view]: It’s 2030 in Europe and you’re being executed for liking a meme.”
What Telegram Has to Say?
Telegram CEO Pavel Durov travels throughout Europe on a regular basis and has nothing to conceal. Telegram is a communication and essential information source for nearly a billion users worldwide. With over 900 million active users, the platform stated, “We’re anticipating a swift resolution of this situation.” “Telegram abides by EU laws, including the Digital Services Act — its moderation is within industry standards and constantly improving,” the company added.
Telegram said. “It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner are responsible for abuse of that platform.”
We’re awaiting a prompt resolution of this situation. Telegram is with you all.”
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