Why did France arrest Pavel Durov, CEO of Telegram?

France has sparked a storm of reactions when French authorities arrested Pavel Durov, the Russian billionaire and CEO of the popular messaging app Telegram, at Le Bourget airport near Paris. His arrest received widespread international attention.

Who is Pavel Durov, and why did the French authorities arrest him?

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Pavel Durov, 39, is a Russian businessman known for his vocal advocacy for digital privacy and freedom of expression, and Forbes estimates his fortune at $15.5 billion. Durov obtained French citizenship in August 2021, and also holds citizenship of the United Arab Emirates.

Sometimes called the "Mark Zuckerberg of Russia," he first became famous when he founded the social networking site VK in 2006, which quickly became the largest social network in Russia, and was called the "Facebook of Russia."

In 2014, Durov's relationship with the Russian government soured after he refused to comply with its demands to shut down opposition groups on the platform as political unrest in Ukraine escalated, Reuters reported.

As pressure mounted, Durov left Russia that same year, sold his stake in VK, and began searching for a safe haven. His search for a headquarters for Telegram took him to Berlin, London, Singapore, and San Francisco before settling in Dubai, where the company’s headquarters are currently located.

Pavel Durov is known for speaking out about privacy and resisting government interference in what happens on the platforms he owns, which is a big part of his public image.

Durov has repeatedly stressed that Telegram will remain neutral and free from any geopolitical influences, a stance that has earned him both praise and criticism.

In an interview with American journalist Tucker Carlson last April, Durov spoke frankly about the pressure he faced from multiple governments, including attempts by US authorities to create a “backdoor” in the Telegram app.

Durov said that FBI agents tried to convince one of his engineers to include open-source tools in the app’s code that would allow them to spy on users. He also recounted encounters with FBI agents at airports and showing up at his home, reflecting the level of interest the app receives from U.S. authorities.

Telegram has also been a vital communication tool in Russia, despite previous government attempts to ban the app in the country. In 2018, Russian authorities began blocking the app after the company refused to comply with a court order to give state security services access to its users’ encrypted messages. The decision had little impact on the app’s availability there, but it sparked widespread protests in Moscow and criticism from nongovernmental organizations, Reuters reported.

Telegram application

In 2013, Pavel Durov founded Telegram with his brother Nikolai, turning the app into a global platform known for its strong encryption of messages and its commitment to user privacy. Telegram offers features such as end-to-end encryption, secret chats, and more, which has made it a preferred chat platform for those looking for secure communication.

The app grew rapidly from 45 million active users in 2014 to over 900 million users worldwide in 2024, with a large fan base in Russia, Ukraine, and the former Soviet Union. Telegram is an influential platform in these regions, becoming a primary source of information, especially in the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. The app is often described as a “virtual battlefield” used by both sides to spread information and propaganda.

Despite its popularity, Telegram has been the subject of ongoing controversy over its content moderation policies. The app’s focus on privacy has made it an attractive platform for activists, journalists, and anti-government dissidents, but it has also become a convenient platform for criminal activity. The app has been heavily criticized for spreading misinformation, violent content, and illegal activities, raising concerns among governments, regulators, and oversight bodies, particularly in Europe.

For example, the platform has been repeatedly criticized for displaying misleading content about the Russia-Ukraine war and the ongoing Israeli war on the Gaza Strip. However, Telegram rarely shuts down channels without a request from law enforcement or regulatory bodies.

Case against Telegram

Durov’s arrest at Le Bourget airport is linked to an ongoing investigation into Telegram’s content moderation practices and policies. According to French media reports, authorities there have expressed concern that the app’s weak content oversight has allowed criminal activity to spread unchecked.

In a new report from the French newspaper Le Monde, the newspaper revealed that recruitment channels on the Telegram application have turned into platforms for marketing drugs in France and recruiting drug dealers. The newspaper wrote, in an investigation titled "Drug trade, digital platforms for selling drugs are working at full capacity in the summer," that the application has turned into a thriving market for selling drugs and recruiting drug dealers.

According to Le Monde, such ads are an indication of a parallel economy that has become more normal, and flourishes in the summer, which is characterized by a high number of drug-related murders. They are also evidence of a growing tendency to adopt Telegram as a central platform where sellers display their goods and those wishing to employ their “skills.”

Telegram's content moderation policies have been a constant subject of debate. Unlike other social media platforms, the app has taken a relatively lenient approach to content moderation, with a greater focus on user privacy and freedom of expression.

This approach has made it a favorite platform among users looking for uncensored communication channels, especially in countries with widespread government censorship. But this stance has also drawn criticism from governments and security agencies who see Telegram’s policies as enabling the spread of harmful content and criminal activity.

The investigation comes amid the European Union's efforts to implement the Digital Services Act, a legislation that imposes strict requirements on big tech companies regarding content moderation policies on their platforms.

In May 2024, EU tech regulators began reaching out to Telegram as the platform neared 45 million users in the EU, which would subject it to the strict requirements of the Digital Services Act. The law requires platforms with large audiences in the EU to have strict content oversight systems to detect and remove illegal content, or face hefty fines and other penalties against the company.

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