Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov delivers his keynote conference during day two of the Mobile World Congress at the Fira Gran Via complex in Barcelona, Spain on February 23, 2016. The annual Mobile World Congress hosts some of the world's largest communication companies, the show runs from the 22 to 25 February. Photo by Manuel Blondeau/AOP.Press/Corbis
Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov was arrested in France on Saturday after his private jet landed at Le Bourget Airport, French media reported.
Durov was arrested under a warrant related to “various violations of his encrypted messaging service,” according to a report by Le Monde. The 39-year-old, who became a French citizen in 2021, is expected to be brought to court on Sunday.
French authorities are accusing Durov of a “lack of moderation” involving Telegram. The messaging app is reportedly under attack in Europe for the “viral circulation of false information.”
“Telegram has shielded itself from state moderation rules, at a time when the European Union and the United States are putting pressure on major platforms to remove illegal content,” Le Monde reported.
France’s OFMIN (Office to Combat Violence Against Minors) issued the warrant as part of an investigation into “offenses ranging from fraud, drug trafficking, cyberbullying, organized crime, glorification of terrorism, and fraud,” a source told the French newspaper.
