Pavel Durov has now been released but is still under investigation for allegedly allowing criminal activity on the platform.
The news of Pavel Durov, founder and CEO of Telegram, being arrested as he stepped out of its private jet in Paris on Saturday, August 24, has surely come as a shock for the tech world. This is the first time a social media executive has physically entered jail for crimes that allegedly occurred on the platform. He was released on Wednesday after paying a €5 million bail, but is banned from leaving the country as authorities placed him under criminal investigation.
The Russian-born billionaire has long been a divisive figure. Deemed as the « Robin Hood of the internet » by Le Monde, Durov is popular among free speech fighters for refusing to give away Telegram’s users’ identities to law enforcement requests. Some countries have blocked access to Telegram over the years for this reason, in fact, forcing people to turn to the best VPNs if they want to keep using the app.
While French President Emmanuel Macron stressed there’s no political motive behind the arrest, Telegram’s 950 million monthly active users worldwide remain in the dark. So, is Telegram still a viable option to protect your communications privacy?Why did France arrest Pavel Durov?
Complicité – complicity – is the word the French prosecutors used the most in its long list of accusations against Durov.
The investigation, which was launched on July 8, is over alleged complicity in running an online platform that allows illicit transactions, child pornography, drug trafficking, and the refusal to share information with authorities under requests.
Some of the charges also include the alleged use of cryptographic technologies – those responsible for implementing encryption protections on the messaging app – without proper declaration as well as providing those cryptographic services to criminals.
In a statement, Telegram said that the platform « abides by EU laws », including the Digital Services Act. « It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner are responsible for abuse of that platform. »
Needless to say, Durov’s arrest split the tech world.
On one side, some commentators have welcomed the event as the end of impunity for tech bosses – a sign that the EU regulatory strategy is working. On the other, many took the defense of the head of Telegram, including X’s owner Elon Musk who shared the #FreePavel a day after his arrest.
The latter category also includes Andy Yen, founder and CEO of the privacy company behind Proton VPN and Proton Mail.
