Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of the widely-used messaging platform Telegram, was reportedly detained in France on Saturday, as per French news outlet TF1.
The arrest is believed to be linked to a warrant issued during an ongoing police investigation.
According to TF1, the investigation centers around alleged shortcomings in Telegram’s content moderation policies. Authorities are concerned that the app has become a safe haven for criminal activities, including drug trafficking, child exploitation, money laundering, and fraud.
Telegram’s relatively lax approach to moderation has sparked significant debate, with critics arguing that it has allowed cybercrime to thrive. The platform has been accused of enabling threat actors to coordinate operations, distribute malware, and trade stolen data and illegal goods.
“Telegram has evolved into a hub where cybercriminals of all stripes share illicit tools and intelligence, creating a sophisticated supply chain of illegal activities,” Guardio Labs stated in a report earlier this year.
Headquartered in Dubai, Telegram boasts over 950 million monthly active users as of July 2024. The app recently introduced new features, including an in-app browser and a Mini App Store, further expanding its capabilities to resemble a “super app” akin to Tencent’s WeChat.
(This is a developing story. Stay tuned for further updates.)
