August 25, 2024 9:25 AM
Pavel Durov was arrested upon arriving on a private jet outside Paris, and the main focus of the investigation was the lack of moderators on Telegram.
Pavel Durov, a Russian-French billionaire and founder and CEO of Telegram, was arrested Saturday evening at Bourget airport outside Paris, officials said. The arrest came after his private jet landed near the French capital. He had an arrest warrant issued in France as part of a preliminary police investigation.
Telegram CEO and co-founder Pavel Durov was arrested on Saturday night. (AFP)
According to Reuters, the main focus of the investigation is a lack of moderators on Telegram, which police believe is allowing illegal activity to continue on the app.
Immediately after Durov's arrest, many people took to social media to express their opposition to the arrest, some even calling for his release. (Related article: Telegram's Russian CEO reveals his true identity, claims he has over 100 children.)
See how social media reacted to the news below:
The encrypted messaging app Telegram has around 1 billion users and is influential in Russia, Ukraine and former Soviet republics, ranking second among major social media networks after Wechat, Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram and TikTok, according to Reuters.
The news outlet also reported that following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Telegram has emerged as the main platform for uncensored, often explicit and inaccurate communication on war and politics by both sides. The messaging app, which is frequently used by both the Russian government and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his associates, has evolved into what some experts call a “virtual battlefield” of the conflict. (Related article: Telegram to soon introduce Stories feature, founder Durov announces)
After the Kremlin tightened restrictions on alternative media following its invasion of Ukraine, Telegram, which allows users to circumvent official scrutiny, emerged as one of the few places Russians could get independent news about the war.
The Russian Foreign Ministry urged Western non-governmental organizations to call for Durov's release and said its mission in Paris was briefing him on the situation surrounding him.
News / Trends / Telegram's Pavel Durov arrested in Paris suburbs, social media users demand his release: “It's time to fight back”
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