Pavel Durov, the billionaire founder and CEO of the encrypted messaging app Telegram, was arrested on August 24, 2024, at Le Bourget Airport near Paris, France. He was taken into custody shortly after arriving on a private jet from Azerbaijan, according to multiple reports from French media outlets such as TF1 and BFMTV.
The arrest was made under a warrant linked to a preliminary police investigation into potential criminal activities associated with Telegram, including money laundering, drug trafficking, and the distribution of child sexual abuse content. French authorities have raised concerns about the platform's lack of content moderation, which they claim has facilitated these illegal activities.
Durov, who holds dual citizenship in France and the United Arab Emirates, has been a prominent figure in the tech world since founding Telegram in 2013. He previously left Russia in 2014 after resisting government demands to surrender user data related to political protests. Telegram has grown significantly, boasting around 900 million active users, but its reputation has been marred by its use in various criminal activities and misinformation campaigns.
Following his arrest, Durov is expected to appear before a judge, and he may face charges as early as Sunday. The Russian embassy in France is reportedly taking steps to understand the situation surrounding his detention.