Pavel Durov, the Russian-French billionaire and founder of Telegram, was reportedly arrested at Bourget airport near Paris on Saturday evening, according to TF1 TV and BFM TV, citing unnamed sources. Durov was on his private jet when the arrest occurred, as stated on TF1's website, which also mentioned that he was subject to an arrest warrant in France linked to a preliminary police investigation. Both TF1 and BFM reported that the investigation centers on Telegram's insufficient moderation, which police believe has facilitated unchecked criminal activity on the platform. Durov could be indicted on Sunday, according to French media.
Telegram, an encrypted messaging app with nearly one billion users, holds significant influence in Russia, Ukraine, and the former Soviet republics. It ranks among the top social media platforms, following Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok, and WeChat. Telegram has yet to comment on the situation, and the French Interior Ministry and police have remained silent as well. Durov, who co-founded Telegram with his brother in 2013, left Russia in 2014 after defying government orders to shut down opposition groups on his VKontakte social media platform, which he later sold.
Durov has emphasized his commitment to freedom over obedience, as he told US journalist Tucker Carlson in April about his departure from Russia and the search for a new home for his company, which included stays in Berlin, London, Singapore, and San Francisco. Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Telegram has emerged as a primary source of unfiltered, often graphic and misleading, content about the war and its political implications from both sides. The platform has been described by some analysts as a 'virtual battlefield' for the conflict, heavily utilized by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian officials.
Telegram, which enables users to bypass official surveillance, has also become one of the few channels where Russians can access independent news about the war, especially after the Kremlin tightened restrictions on independent media post-invasion. The Russian foreign ministry has stated that its embassy in Paris is investigating the circumstances surrounding Durov's arrest and has urged Western NGOs to call for his release. Russia initially blocked Telegram in 2018 when the app refused to comply with a court order to allow state security agencies access to its users' encrypted messages.
This action disrupted numerous third-party services but had minimal impact on Telegram's availability in Russia. The ban triggered widespread protests in Moscow and criticism from NGOs. TF1 reported that Durov was traveling from Azerbaijan when he was arrested at approximately 8pm. With an estimated fortune of $15.5 billion according to Forbes, Durov has asserted that despite government pressures, Telegram should remain a 'neutral platform' and not engage in geopolitics. However, its growing popularity has attracted scrutiny from several European countries, including France, over security and data breach concerns.
Russia's representative to international organizations in Vienna, Mikhail Ulyanov, and other Russian politicians quickly accused France of behaving like a dictatorship on Sunday, echoing the criticism Moscow faced in 2014 and 2018. Ulyanov cautioned that individuals playing a significant role in international information spaces should be wary of visiting countries moving towards more totalitarian societies. Elon Musk, owner of the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, commented on Durov's detention, likening it to a dystopian future where liking a meme could be fatal. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who recently dropped his US presidential bid and endorsed Donald Trump, emphasized the urgent need to protect free speech in light of the reports.
Several Russian bloggers have called for protests at French embassies worldwide at noon on Sunday.
