Telegram, the biggest competitor to messaging apps like WhatsApp and Signal, is facing a new shock. According to reports from the European press, Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov was arrested in France. So what was his crime?
Telegram CEO arrested at the airport in France
Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov was arrested at Le Bourget airport in Paris, according to French media reports. French authorities arrested the 39-year-old billionaire on a private jet from Azerbaijan. Durov was accompanied by his bodyguard at the time of his arrest.
French police did not share details of the arrest. However, local media cited Telegram’s emphasis on privacy and security. Accordingly, Telegram is alleged to facilitate criminal activities such as drug trafficking and child abuse.
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The app offers end-to-end encrypted messaging and temporary message services. This makes it difficult for authorities to track illegal communications. So even if drug trafficking or child abuse is taking place on the platform, it is not possible to read the messages.
In France, there is actually an investigation into Telegram’s alleged abetting of crimes. Accordingly, a search warrant was previously issued for Durov’s arrest. The warrant would only be valid if the CEO was present on French territory.
Durov founded VKontakte, Russia’s most popular social network. However, he was forced to leave the country after an earlier dispute with the Russian government over data privacy. He has been living in various European countries since 2014.
