This is not the first time Telegram's Pavel Durov has landed in trouble, it was with Putin in 2014 over VK
The tech world was left shocked after news emerged that Pavel Durov, the billionaire founder of instant messaging and social media platform Telegram, was detained in France. Durov, who was born in Russia but has citizenship in France, the United Arab Emirates, and the Caribbean island nation of St. Kitts and Nevis, was detained Saturday at Le Bourget airport in connection with an investigation launched last month involving 12 alleged criminal violations.
Allegations against?Durov
He is accused of enabling the selling of child sexual abuse material, drug trafficking, fraud, abetting organized crime transactions through Telegram, and refusing to share information or documents with investigators when required by law.?
What is Telegram
While most people know Telegram as a WhatsApp-like instant messaging platform, in his home country Russia and other former Soviet Republics, it serves as a social media platform, with the likes of the Office of the Russian President and Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy all having their official accounts on the platform.
Durov's first social media venture? ?
Telegram wasn't the first time Durov landed in trouble with authorities or his first attempt at building a social media platform. Durov's first social media platform was VKontakte, now called VK, which was founded in 2006.
The predominantly Russian social media platform was heavily influenced by its much larger American counterpart, Facebook, when it comes to looks and even features. It was co-founded by Durov, his Israeli classmate Vyacheslav Mirilashvili, and an Israeli investor called Lev Leviev. VKontakte soon became popular in Russia and other former Soviet Republics, and much like Telegram, it was a hub for people to download pirated movies, music, and more.
How Durov was forced out of VK
Durov landed in trouble with the Kremlin in 2014 following Russia's annexation of Crimea in Ukraine. Durov allegedly refused to censor anti-Putin posts on VKontakte following the Crimea annexation, which led to his ouster. Durov was 'forced to sell' his stakes in VKontakte to a Putin ally, and he left Russia soon after.
Telegram to rival VK
He later moved to the island of Saint Kitts and Nevis, where he obtained citizenship and developed Telegram, which he had started working on in 2013, into what it is today.?
Durov, who lost control of VK, wanted Telegram to rival his first social media platform and has succeeded in it to a large extent. Like VK, Telegram also has very relaxed content moderation policies, making it the go-to destination for all kinds of illegal activities, including scams, drug trafficking, pornography, and pirated content.
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