Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov
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Pavel DurovThe Russian-born billionaire founder and proprietor of the Telegram messaging app was arrested and detained shortly after his non-public airplane landed at Le Bourget airport exterior Paris on Saturday night time, police sources mentioned.
The arrest of the 39-year-old tech billionaire triggered warnings from Moscow to Paris demanding his rights and criticism from X proprietor Elon Musk, who mentioned free speech in Europe Beneath assault.
French officers haven’t confirmed the arrest, which was additionally reported by French and Russian media, saying Durov was arrested shortly after arriving at Le Bourget Airport on a non-public jet from Azerbaijan.
France’s BFM and TF1 mentioned that Durov, who has twin citizenship of France and the United Arab Emirates, was arrested throughout a preliminary police investigation as a result of Telegram’s lack of directors and lack of cooperation with the police led to doable legal conduct. Reuters police sources couldn’t affirm this.
Telegram and senior Telegram managers didn’t reply to repeated requests for remark. France’s inside ministry, police and Paris prosecutor’s workplace had no remark. In line with French media studies, Durov could face prosecution on Sunday.
Telegram is predicated in Dubai and was based by Durov, who left Russia in 2014 after refusing to adjust to calls for to close down opposition teams on his VK social media platform and has bought the platform.
Encrypted purposes, near billion userssignificantly influential in Russia, Ukraine and the previous Soviet republics. It’s listed as one of many main social media platforms after Fb, YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok, and WeChat.
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Durov, who has a fortune estimated at $15.5 billion by Forbes, mentioned in April that some governments had tried to strain him however that the app ought to stay a “impartial platform” and never “geopolitical.” members”.
Durov got here up with the concept of creating an encrypted messaging app as a method of communication at a time when Russia was underneath strain. His brother Nikolai designed encryption expertise.
“I’d slightly be free than take orders from anybody,” Durov mentioned in April of leaving Russia and discovering a house for his firm, which included work in Berlin, London, Singapore and San Francisco.
After Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Telegram has change into a significant supply of unfiltered (and typically graphic and deceptive) content material from each side in regards to the warfare and the politics of the battle.
The platform has change into what some analysts name the warfare’s “digital battlefield” and is used closely by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his officers, in addition to the Russian authorities.
The Russian Overseas Ministry mentioned it had despatched a observe to Paris requesting a gathering with Durov, however mentioned Durov had French citizenship.
Former Russian President Medvedev mentioned it was a mistake for Durov to flee Russia pondering he would by no means should cooperate with overseas safety companies.
Medvedev, who typically makes use of Telegram to criticize and insult the West, mentioned Durov wished to be “an impressive ‘man of the world’ who can stay an exquisite life with out a homeland.”
“He miscalculated,” Medvedev mentioned. “To all our frequent enemies now, he’s Russian – and subsequently unpredictable and harmful.”
Russia started blocking Telegram in 2018 after the app refused to adjust to a court docket order granting state safety entry to its customers’ encrypted messages.
This operation disrupted many third-party companies, however Little impact Relating to the provision of Telegram. Nevertheless, the injunction triggered Massive protests in Moscow and criticism from NGOs.
“Impartial Platform”
Durov, who lives in Dubai, was arrested at round 8pm (1800 GMT) after touring from Azerbaijan, in response to French and Russian media studies.
Telegram mentioned it was “dedicated to defending person privateness and human rights, similar to freedom of expression and meeting.”
Durov has beforehand accused US legislation enforcement businesses such because the FBI of making an attempt to put in backdoors into the platform. The FBI has not commented on the allegations.
Nevertheless, Telegram’s rising reputation has triggered censorship in a number of European nations, including franceconcerning safety and information leakage points.
Musk, the billionaire proprietor of social media platform
Exterior the French embassy in Moscow, a lone protester held an indication that learn: “Freedom for Pavel Durov.”
