France arrested Russian-French billionaire and Telegram CEO Pavel Durov on a Saturday evening and was detained at Bourget airport near Paris while traveling aboard his private jet.
Reports shared by Reuters revealed that the arrest is somehow linked to an ongoing investigation over alleged insufficient moderation on Telegram, which is said to have left criminal activity on the platform to spread uncontrollably.
Earlier this year, VCPost reported that even giant retailers fell victim to refund scams promoted on Telegram. This was followed by another report that the platform has influenced underage teens to buy knives illegally.
Telegram will now undergo an investigation into its moderation practices, particularly the role it has played so far in facilitating illegal activities specifically across Russia and Ukraine.
According to CGTV, French police are examining the ability of the app, developed to bypass supervision, which has led to it being used to share unfiltered material. This allegedly included graphic and misleading content related to the war in Ukraine.
To answer Telegram's problematic moderation policies, Durov could face indictment and be put before the court soon. Previously, Durov has already defended Telegram as a neutral platform and resisted government pressures.
However, the Russian embassy in Paris has expressed concern over Durov's arrest and is working to clarify the situation. This is after Russian officials have criticized France's actions, comparing them to similar attempts by Moscow to exert pressure on Durov in the past.
Russian bloggers have called for protests outside French embassies worldwide.
Telegram, which has close to one billion users, remains one of the few platforms where Russians can access independent news amid increased media restrictions in the country.
Join the Conversation