Telegram Messaging App's CEO Arrested In France: Reports

NICE, France (AP) — The laminitis and CEO of nan messaging work Telegram was detained astatine a Paris airdrome connected an apprehension warrant alleging his level has been utilized for money laundering, supplier trafficking and different offenses, French media reported Sunday.

Pavel Durov, a dual national of France and Russia, was taken into custody astatine Paris-Le Bourget Airport connected Saturday evening aft landing successful France from Azerbaijan, according to broadcasters LCI and TF1.

Investigators from nan National Anti-Fraud Office, attached to nan French customs department, notified Durov, 39, that he was being placed successful constabulary custody, nan broadcasters said.

Durov’s representatives couldn’t beryllium instantly reached for comment.

French prosecutors declined to remark connected Durov’s apprehension erstwhile contacted by The Associated Press connected Sunday, successful statement pinch regulations during an ongoing investigation.

French media reported that nan warrant for Durov was issued by France astatine nan petition of nan typical portion astatine nan country’s interior ministry successful complaint of investigating crimes against minors.

Those see online intersexual exploitation, specified arsenic possession and distribution of kid intersexual maltreatment contented and grooming for intersexual purposes.

Telegram was founded by Durov and his relative successful nan aftermath of nan Russian government’s crackdown aft wide pro-democracy protests that rocked Moscow astatine nan extremity of 2011 and 2012.

Telegram CEO Pavel Durov speaks successful Barcelona, Spain successful 2016. French media reports nan tech laminitis was arrested astatine a Paris airdrome connected Saturday.

Manuel Blondeau - Corbis via Getty Images

The demonstrations prompted Russian authorities to clamp down connected nan integer space, adopting regulations that forced net providers to artifact websites and cellphone operators to shop telephone records and messages that could beryllium shared pinch information services.

In nan progressively repressive environment, Telegram and its pro-privacy rhetoric offered a convenient measurement for Russians to pass and stock news. In 2018, Russian media watchdog Roskomnadzor moved to artifact Telegram complete its refusal to manus complete encryption keys, but yet grounded to afloat restrict entree to nan app.

Telegram continued to beryllium wide utilized — including by authorities institutions — and nan prohibition was dropped 2 years later. In March 2024, Roskomnadzor said that Telegram was moving pinch nan Russian authorities to a definite grade and had removed much than 256,000 posts pinch prohibited contented astatine Roskomnadzor’s request.

Telegram besides continues to beryllium a celebrated root of news successful Ukraine, wherever some media outlets and officials usage it to stock accusation connected nan war, and present rocket and aerial ambush alerts.

Telegram did not instantly respond to a connection for remark connected Sunday.

A French judicial charismatic suggested that Durov could look earlier a judge later Sunday to find whether he will stay successful custody. The charismatic wasn’t authorized to beryllium named publically during an ongoing investigation.

“If nan personification concerned is to beryllium brought earlier a judge today, it is only successful nan discourse of nan imaginable hold of his constabulary custody measurement — a determination that must beryllium taken and notified by an investigating judge,” nan charismatic said.

Western governments person often criticized Telegram for deficiency of contented moderating connected nan messaging service, which experts opportunity opens up nan messaging level for imaginable usage successful money laundering, supplier trafficking and allowing nan sharing of contented linked to intersexual exploitation of minors.

Compared to different messaging platforms, Telegram is “less unafraid (and) much lax successful position of argumentation and discovery of forbidden content,” said David Thiel, a Stanford University researcher, who has investigated nan usage of online platforms for kid exploitation, astatine its Internet Observatory.

In addition, Telegram “appears fundamentally unresponsive to rule enforcement,” Thiel said, adding that messaging work WhatsApp “submitted complete 1.3 cardinal CyberTipline reports successful 2023 (and) Telegram submits none.”

In 2022, Germany issued fines of 5.125 cardinal euros ($5 million) against nan operators of Telegram for failing to comply pinch German law. The Federal Office of Justice said that Telegram FZ-LLC hasn’t established a lawful measurement for reporting forbidden contented aliases named an entity successful Germany to person charismatic communication.

Both are required nether German laws that modulate ample online platforms.

Last year, Brazil temporarily suspended Telegram complete its nonaccomplishment to surrender information connected neo-Nazi activity related to a constabulary enquiry into schoolhouse shootings successful November.

Russian authorities officials expressed outrage astatine Durov’s arrest, pinch immoderate highlighting what they said was nan West’s double modular connected state of speech.

“In 2018, a group of 26 NGOs, including Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, Freedom House, Reporters Without Borders, nan Committee to Protect Journalists, and others, condemned nan Russian court’s determination to artifact Telegram,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

“Do you deliberation this clip they’ll entreaty to Paris and request Durov’s release?” Zakharova said successful a station connected her individual Telegram account.

Officials astatine nan Russian Embassy successful Paris had requested entree to Durov, Zakharova told Russian authorities news outlet RIA Novosti, but she added that French authorities position Durov’s French citizenship arsenic his superior one.

In a connection to nan AP earlier this month, Telegram said that it actively combats misuse of its platform.

“Moderators usage a operation of proactive monitoring and personification reports successful bid to region contented that breaches Telegram’s position of service. Each day, millions of pieces of harmful contented are removed,” nan institution said.

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Associated Press writers Katie Marie Davies successful Manchester, England, Matt OBrien successful Providence, Rhode Island, and Barbara Ortutay successful Oakland, California contributed to this report.