Pavel Durov, the Russian-French billionaire founder and CEO of the Telegram messaging app, was arrested on Saturday evening at Le Bourget Airport, just outside Paris, according to reports from French media outlets TF1 and BFM TV. The arrest occurred as Durov was traveling aboard his private jet, with sources indicating that he was the target of an arrest warrant issued in France.
The arrest is reportedly linked to a preliminary police investigation concerning the lack of moderators on Telegram, which authorities believe has allowed criminal activities to proliferate on the platform unchecked. Telegram, an encrypted messaging app with nearly one billion users, is widely used in Russia, Ukraine, and the former Soviet republics. It is recognized as one of the major social media platforms globally, alongside Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok, and WeChat.
Durov, who co-founded Telegram with his brother in 2013, left Russia in 2014 after refusing to comply with government orders to shut down opposition communities on his previous social media platform, VKontakte, which he subsequently sold.
As of now, Telegram has not issued a response to the incident, and both the French Interior Ministry and police have declined to comment on the matter.
