Telegram founder and CEO, Pavel Durov, arrested in France amid investigation in lack of content moderation

Pavel Durov, billionaire founder and CEO of the Telegram messaging app, was arrested at the Bourget airport outside Paris on August 24 evening, according to local media reports. 

Based in Dubai, Telegram was founded by Russian-born Durov. He left Russia in 2014 after refusing to comply with government demands to shut down opposition communities on his VK social media platform, which he sold. 

According to officials, the 39-year-old had been arrested under a warrant for offences related to the popular messaging app. 

Durov, whose net worth is estimated by Forbes at $15.5 billion, was travelling on his private jet from Azerbaijan when he was detained around 8:00 pm local time, according to reports.  

The arrest is said to be related to an ongoing preliminary police investigation in France. The specific nature of these offenses has not been disclosed at this time. 

According to the reports, the investigation centres on Telegram’s alleged lack of content moderation. French authorities believe this situation has allowed criminal activities to flourish unchecked on the platform.  

Telegram is particularly influential in Russia, Ukraine and the republics of the former Soviet Union and is ranked as one of the major social media platforms. It aims to hit one billion users in the next year. 

The app has become preferred means of communications for Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and his officials. The Kremlin and the Russian government also use it to disseminate their news. It has also become one of the few places where Russians can access news about the war. 

Russia’s embassy in France is taking “immediate steps” to clarify the situation, according to Russia’s TASS state news agency. 

Telegram has become a significant player in global communications, particularly in Russia, Ukraine and former Soviet republics. Concerns have been raised about the platform, which boasts of 900 million active users, as a source of unfiltered information about the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. 

Durov, has previously stated that while some governments have pressured him, Telegram should remain a “neutral platform” and not a “player in geopolitics”. 

Elon Musk, Tesla CEO, said after reports of Durov's detention: "It's 2030 in Europe and you’re being executed for liking a meme."

Several Russian bloggers called for protests at French embassies throughout the world following Durov's arrest.