Pavel Durov, the billionaire founder of the encrypted messaging app Telegram, has been arrested in France, according to local reports.
The 39-year-old technology chief was reportedly arrested after his private jet landed at Le Bourget airport on the outskirts of Paris.
News channels BFMTV and TF1 cited unnamed sources as saying that a search warrant had been issued against the Russian-born entrepreneur, who obtained French citizenship in 2021.
Both media outlets suggest that the investigation focused on a lack of moderators. telegram and potential criminal activities of users.
Neither the French police, the Interior Ministry nor Telegram have commented on these allegations.
Telegram is one of the most downloaded apps in the world. Forecasts say it will reach nearly one billion users within one year.
It offers end-to-end encryption – effectively protects data from interception – and places great emphasis on data protection.
Image: AP
Telegram is particularly influential in Russia, Ukraine and the republics of the former Soviet Union.
This focus makes the app popular with democracy movements and other protesters in countries with strict laws.
Pavel Durov is venerated as an icon during a protest against internet censorship in Moscow in 2019. Image: AP
It has become an important source of information about Russia’s war in Ukraine and is used intensively by Moscow And Kyiv Officer.
It is considered one of the most important Social Media platforms and claims to have more than 950 million monthly active users.
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But it has also been used for criminal activities and recently by right-wing extremist activists who sparked unrest in Great Britain about the Stabbings in Southport.
It is unclear why Mr Durov was arrested, but BFMTV reported that the warrant related to the possible use of the app for money laundering, drug trafficking or sharing child sexual abuse content.
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The app’s founder, owner and CEO left Russia in 2014 after losing control of his previous social media company Vkontakte (VK).
He refused to comply with government demands to close opposition groups on the platform and refused to provide security authorities with data on Ukrainian protesters.
Meanwhile, the Russian Foreign Ministry said it was taking steps to “clarify” whether he had been arrested.
Mr Durov was naturalized as a French citizen in August 2021 and is also a citizen of the United Arab Emirates.
US commentator Tucker Carlson, in his article on X, believes that Mr Durov was arrested in France because he refused to “censor the truth”.
In an interview with the American television star in April, Mr Durov said he was determined to keep Telegram “neutral” and “free of geopolitics”.
