Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov
Manuel Blondeau – Corbis | Corbis News | Getty Images
Telegram’s chief executive, Pavel Durov, was arrested at an airport outside Paris on Saturday night and detained on suspicion of crimes related to the messaging app, French media reported.
The 39-year-old Russian-born billionaire is reportedly accused of failing to prevent his platform from being misused for criminal activity.
France’s Agency for the Protection of Minors (OFMIN), responsible for protecting minors from violence, issued an arrest warrant for Durov on charges of organized crime, drug trafficking, fraud, cyberbullying and promoting terrorism on his platform, AFP reported, citing sources.
The messaging app, which has around 800 million users, is popular not only in Ukraine but also in Russia.
Responding to reports of Durov’s detention, the Russian embassy in France said it “immediately requested an explanation from the French authorities and demanded that his rights be protected and that he be given access to the consulate.” A Telegram message said embassy officials were in contact with Durov’s lawyers.
Here’s everything you need to know about Durov:
In an interview with American commentator Tucker Carlson earlier this year, Durov explained how he prioritizes freedoms like freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, and free markets, saying that freedom came first when he decided to leave VK over a decade ago and in his personal life too.
He founded Telegram in 2013, promoting it as a neutral, uncensored platform accessible to people of all walks of life and beliefs.
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