Telegram CEO Pavel Durov is set to appear in court on Sunday following his arrest by French police at an airport near Paris. Durov, a Franco-Russian billionaire, was detained at Le Bourget airport on Saturday evening after arriving from Baku, Azerbaijan.
The arrest was made on the basis of a warrant issued by France’s OFMIN, an office focused on preventing violence against minors. The warrant is part of a preliminary investigation into allegations of fraud, drug trafficking, cyberbullying, organized crime, and promoting terrorism. Durov is accused of not doing enough to prevent the criminal misuse of his messaging platform.
One investigator expressed surprise that Durov came to Paris despite being a wanted man, stating, “Enough of Telegram’s impunity.”
Telegram, known for its encrypted messaging and based in Dubai, markets itself as a privacy-focused alternative to US-owned platforms, which have faced criticism for mishandling user data. Durov, in a rare interview with right-wing talk show host Tucker Carlson in April, explained that his motivation for creating the app stemmed from pressure from the Russian government during his time at VK, a social network he founded before leaving Russia in 2014. He chose Dubai for its favorable business environment and neutrality.
Durov highlighted Telegram’s popularity, claiming over 900 million active users who value the platform’s independence and privacy. Telegram’s large group capacity, which allows up to 200,000 members, has led to criticisms that it facilitates the spread of false information and extremist content. This is in contrast to competitors like WhatsApp, which imposed limits on message forwarding in 2019 to combat misinformation.
