Telegram CEO Pavel Durov arrested in Paris: Why was he arrested, who is he, and how are people reacting?
Upon arriving at Le Bourget Airport in Paris aboard his private jet, billionaire Pavel Durov¡ªfounder and CEO of the widely used messaging service, Telegram¡ªwas swiftly taken into custody by French authorities. The arrest, executed by a part of the national directorate of the French judicial police, was based on a warrant enforceable only on French territory.?
Durov has a net worth of $15.5 billion according to Forbes.
Why was Pavel Durov, Telegram CEO, arrested?
Pavel Durov, 39, was detained by officers from France's anti-fraud office, operating under French customs.
According to authorities, Durov was apprehended under a warrant tied to offenses related to his messaging platform, Telegram.?
The warrant stems from allegations that the platform's lack of moderation facilitated illegal activities, including money laundering, drug trafficking, and the dissemination of pedophilic content.?
The Moscow Times, citing French local media, reported that Durov faces charges of complicity in drug trafficking, crimes against children, and fraud, arising from Telegram's failure to adequately cooperate with law enforcement.
Who is Pavel Durov?
Russia-born Pavel Durov founded Telegram in 2013 alongside his brother. A year later, in 2014, Durov left Russia after refusing to comply with the government¡¯s demands to shut down opposition communities on his VKontakte social media platform, which he subsequently sold. He also defied requests to share user data with Russian security services.
Telegram has since risen to become one of the world's leading social media platforms, alongside giants like Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok, and WeChat, with significant popularity in Russia, Ukraine, and former Soviet Union states.
In an interview with U.S. journalist Tucker Carlson in April, Durov reflected on his departure from Russia, stating, "I would rather be free than to take orders from anyone,"?
His search for a permanent home for Telegram led him through Berlin, London, Singapore, and San Francisco.
Following Russia¡¯s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Telegram has emerged as a key platform for unfiltered¡ªoften graphic and occasionally misleading¡ªcontent from both sides of the conflict, as well as a vital tool for sharing information about the war and the surrounding political landscape. It is also reportedly used by the Russian military for communication purposes.
How people reacted to Telegram CEO's arrest
People took to social media to share their reactions after news of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov's arrest spread:
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