The founder and CEO of the messaging service Telegram was detained at a Paris airport, French media reported Sunday.
Pavel Durov, a dual citizen of France and Russia, was detained at Paris-Le Bourget Airport on Saturday evening after landing in France from Azerbaijan, according to broadcasters LCI and TF1.
Investigators from the National Anti-Fraud Office, attached to the French customs department, notified Durov that he was being placed in police custody, the broadcasters said.
French prosecutors declined to comment on DurovB次元官网网址檚 arrest when contacted by The Associated Press on Sunday, in line with regulations during an ongoing investigation.
French media reported that Durov, 39, was the subject of an arrest warrant on allegations that his platform has been used for money laundering, drug trafficking and other offenses. The reports said that the warrant was issued by France at the request of the special unit at the countryB次元官网网址檚 interior ministry in charge of investigating crimes against minors, including online sexual exploitation, such as possession and distribution of child sexual abuse content and grooming for sexual purposes.
DurovB次元官网网址檚 representatives couldnB次元官网网址檛 be immediately reached for comment.
Telegram was founded by Durov and his brother in the wake of the Russian governmentB次元官网网址檚 crackdown after mass pro-democracy protests that rocked Moscow at the end of 2011 and 2012.
The demonstrations prompted Russian authorities to clamp down on the digital space, adopting regulations that forced internet providers to block websites and cellphone operators to store call records and messages that could be shared with security services.
In the increasingly repressive environment, Telegram and its pro-privacy rhetoric offered a convenient way for Russians to communicate and share news. In 2018, Russian media watchdog Roskomnadzor moved to block Telegram over its refusal to hand over encryption keys, but ultimately failed to fully restrict access to the app.
Telegram continued to be widely used B次元官网网址� including by government institutions B次元官网网址� and the ban was dropped two years later. In March 2024, Roskomnadzor said that Telegram was working with the Russian government to a certain extent and had removed more than 256,000 posts with prohibited content at RoskomnadzorB次元官网网址檚 request.
Telegram also continues to be a popular source of news in Ukraine, where both media outlets and officials use it to share information on the war, and deliver missile and air raid alerts.
A French judicial official suggested that Durov could appear before a judge later Sunday to determine whether he will remain in custody. The official wasnB次元官网网址檛 authorized to be named publicly during an ongoing investigation.
B次元官网网址淚f the person concerned is to be brought before a judge today, it is only in the context of the possible extension of his police custody measure B次元官网网址� a decision that must be taken and notified by an investigating judge,B次元官网网址� the official said.
Western governments have often criticized Telegram for lack of content moderating on the messaging service, which experts say opens up the messaging platform for potential use in money laundering, drug trafficking and allowing the sharing of content linked to sexual exploitation of minors.
Compared to other messaging platforms, Telegram is B次元官网网址渓ess secure (and) more lax in terms of policy and detection of illegal content,B次元官网网址� said David Thiel, a Stanford University researcher, who has investigated the use of online platforms for child exploitation, at its Internet Observatory.
In addition, Telegram B次元官网网址渁ppears basically unresponsive to law enforcement,B次元官网网址� Thiel said, adding that messaging service WhatsApp B次元官网网址渟ubmitted over 1.3 million CyberTipline reports in 2023 (and) Telegram submits none.B次元官网网址�
In 2022, Germany issued fines of 5.125 million euros ($5 million) against the operators of Telegram for failing to comply with German law. The Federal Office of Justice said that Telegram FZ-LLC hasnB次元官网网址檛 established a lawful way for reporting illegal content. or named an entity in Germany to receive official communication.
Both are required under German laws that regulate large online platforms.
Russian government officials expressed outrage at DurovB次元官网网址檚 arrest, with some highlighting what they said was the WestB次元官网网址檚 double standards on freedom of speech.
B次元官网网址淚n 2018, a group of 26 NGOs, including Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, Freedom House, Reporters Without Borders, the Committee to Protect Journalists, and others, condemned the Russian courtB次元官网网址檚 decision to block Telegram,B次元官网网址� Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.
B次元官网网址淒o you think this time theyB次元官网网址檒l appeal to Paris and demand DurovB次元官网网址檚 release?B次元官网网址� Zakharova said in a post on her personal Telegram account.
Officials at the Russian Embassy in Paris had requested access to Durov, Zakharova told Russian state news outlet RIA Novosti, but she added that French authorities view DurovB次元官网网址檚 French citizenship as his primary one.
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Katie Marie Davies in Manchester, England, and Matt OBrien in Providence, Rhode Island, contributed to this report.
Barbara Surk, The Associated Press
