Telegram CEO Pavel Durov Arrested in France
Pavel Durov, the chief executive of Telegram, has been arrested by French authorities at Le Bourget Airport, situated north of Paris. Reports indicate that Durov was detained upon arrival on his private jet following a judicial warrant connected to offenses concerning the widely-used messaging application.
Officials confirmed that the 39-year-old entrepreneur’s arrest is now under review, with Russian diplomats in France actively seeking clarification regarding the circumstances of the detainment.
Durov’s private travel had been reported by French media, which highlighted Telegram’s widespread use, particularly within Russia, Ukraine, and other former Soviet states. The app faced a ban in Russia in 2018 after Durov refused to comply with requests for user data, though this prohibition was lifted in 2021.
Since its inception in 2013, Telegram has established itself as a key player among social media platforms, ranking alongside Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok, and WeChat. Durov, having left Russia in 2014 due to governmental pressure to eliminate opposition groups on his previous social network, VKontakte, has continued to champion privacy and free speech through Telegram.
