Pavel Durov, the billionaire founder and CEO of the Telegram messaging app, was arrested at Bourget Airport near Paris on Saturday evening, reported Reuters citing unidentified sources of French media. The Telegram CEO was travelling from Azerbaijan and was arrested at around 20:00 (18:00 GMT) on Saturday.
The investigation was focused on a lack of moderators on Telegram, and that police considered that this situation allowed criminal activity to go on undeterred on the messaging app. Telegram did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment, and both the French Interior Ministry and police declined to provide any remarks. Meanwhile, Russia, which has previously attempted to ban Telegram, stated that it was taking steps to “clarify” Pavel Durov’s situation.
Who is Pavel Durov?
- Pavel Durov, a 39-year-old Russian-born entrepreneur, founded and owns the messaging app Telegram. This free-to-use platform competes with other social media services like Facebook’s WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok, and WeChat. Telegram aims to reach over one billion active monthly users within the next year.
- Telegram holds significant influence in Russia, Ukraine, and other former Soviet republics. It has become a vital source of information regarding Russia’s war in Ukraine, heavily utilised by officials from both Moscow and Kyiv. Analysts have described the app as “a virtual battlefield” for the conflict.
- Durov, whose wealth Forbes estimates at $15.5 billion, left Russia in 2014 after refusing to shut down opposition groups on his VKontakte platform, which he subsequently sold.
- In August 2021, Durov acquired French citizenship. He relocated both himself and Telegram to Dubai in 2017, and French media reports suggest he has also obtained UAE citizenship. Additionally, he is a citizen of St. Kitts and Nevis, a dual-island nation in the Caribbean, according to media reports.
- Russia began blocking Telegram in 2018 after the app declined to comply with a court order demanding access to its users’ encrypted messages. This move had little impact on Telegram’s availability but led to mass protests in Moscow and criticism from NGOs.
- As Telegram’s popularity has grown, several European countries, including France, have scrutinised it for security and data breach issues. In May, EU tech regulators indicated they were engaging with Telegram as it approached a usage threshold that could subject it to stricter requirements under new EU online content regulations.
- Durov stated in an April interview with US journalist Tucker Carlson that he preferred freedom over following orders. His search for a base for his company led him through Berlin, London, Singapore, and San Francisco.
- In the same interview, Durov mentioned that, aside from money or Bitcoin, he did not own major assets such as real estate, jets, or yachts, emphasising his desire for personal freedom.
(With Reuters Inputs)
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