• Pavel Durov, founder of Telegram, was arrested in France on Saturday night upon arriving at Bourget Airport.
• The arrest is linked to allegations that Telegram’s lack of moderation has facilitated criminal activity, leading to Durov’s custody being extended for up to 96 hours.
Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, was arrested in France on Saturday evening as he landed at Bourget Airport in Paris aboard his private jet. The 39-year-old Franco-Russian, who had flown in from Azerbaijan, was listed as a wanted person in France.
Many have speculated that Durov’s arrest comes amid Telegram’s resistance to Western efforts to ban pro-Palestine content. Telegram has been one of the few communication platforms to resist such bans, continuing to allow users to share content related to the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
Since October 7th, several mainstream news outlets have expressed dissatisfaction with Telegram being uncensored, including California- based ‘Wried’:
The French authorities have extended Durov’s custody, initially set at 96 hours, to further investigate allegations “concerning Telegram’s role in enabling criminal activity.” The French police state that the app’s “lack of moderation has allowed illegal activities to persist without intervention.”
However, critics of censorship argue that such apps have been crucial in uncovering the truth. They cite instances such as the debunking of the false claim that 40 beheaded Israeli babies were found.
