Telegram’s owner, Pavel Durov, a Russian investor who was detained in the French capital, claims he has nothing to conceal and stressed it is ridiculous to blame a proprietor for misuse of a social media and messaging app, according to a Telegram statement.
This multimillionaire, aged 39, was detained shortly after his private plane arrived from Azerbaijan late on Saturday, at an airport just outside of Paris, Le Bourget.
Native to France and a resident of the United Arab Emirates, Mr. Durov is under preliminary investigation for allegedly enabling a series of crimes due to insufficient moderation on his text app Telegram and uncooperative behaviour with law enforcement, stated a source from the French police.
A unit of the cybercrime gendarmerie along with France’s national task force against financial crime are currently overseeing the case. The authority conducting the investigation specialises in handling organised crime, as per the same source.
In the aftermath of the Telegram CEO’s arrest, Moscow issued a warning to Paris ensuring his rights are upheld, whilst billionaire Elon Musk criticised the situation, arguing that free speech in Europe is currently threatened.
Following midnight in Paris, Telegram issued a brief statement not mentioning the specifics of the arrest and reasserted that the Company, headquartered in Dubai, diligently follows EU regulations and its moderation procedures are continually refined to meet ab standards.
The Telegram statement also insisted that Pavel Durov, the company’s CEO, is transparent and often travels across Europe, and commented that it is preposterous to allege that a platform or its operator are accountable for misuse of the platform.
Telegram awaits a swift resolution to the scenario and continues to extend its support, the statement also noted.
Durov, the man who catalysed the creation of Telegram, quit Russia in 2014 following his refusal to shut down oppositional groups on his VK platform, another social media site he previously owned.
Telegram, an encrypted app boasting nearly a billion users worldwide, holds significant sway in Russia, Ukraine, and the former republics of the Soviet Union. Amongst the list of influential social media platforms, it follows close behind Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok, and WeChat.
Born in Soviet-era Leningrad and graduating from the University of St Petersburg, Durov identifies as a “libertarian” in his political ideologies and credits Apple co-founder Steve Jobs as a source of inspiration.
Earlier this year, he claimed that while some governments had attempted to pressure him, his app should remain politically unbiased and refrain from becoming a “participator in global politics.”
The inspiration for a secure messaging software came upon him amidst tensions with Russian officials. The encryption was ingeniously crafted by his younger sibling, Nikolai. In a statement made in April, regarding his departure from Russia and the hunt for a suitable headquarters for his venture, which took him to Berlin, London, Singapore, and San Francisco, Mr Durov expressed, “I prioritise my freedom over following anyone’s directive.”
– As reported by Reuters.