Telegram App CEO Arrested

Pavel Durov the Russian-French billionaire and founder of the Telegram messaging app was arrested at Bourget airport near Paris on Saturday. Reports from TF1 TV and BFM TV indicate that he was detained due to an arrest warrant related to a preliminary police investigation in France. The investigation is reportedly focused on Telegram's lack of moderation which authorities believe has allowed criminal activity to flourish on the platform.

Durov who founded Telegram with his brother in 2013, faces a possible indictment. Telegram with nearly one billion users, is significant in Russia, Ukraine and former Soviet states. It is a key platform for news and political content particularly since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. 

The Russian foreign ministry is seeking clarification on Durov's arrest and is urging Western NGOs to demand his release. Telegram had previously been blocked in Russia in 2018 after refusing to give authorities access to encrypted messages.