Pavel Durov, the 39-year-old billionaire founder and CEO of the popular messaging app Telegram, who has historically flown under the radar, suddenly made headlines over the weekend after he was arrested in a Paris airport on Saturday (Aug. 25), according to local media reports that were later confirmed by French law enforcement. The surprise news came after Telegram faced backlash for enabling criminal activities through its encrypted messaging platform, and Durov was reportedly held responsible.
Telegram messages are encrypted, meaning no outside influence—not even the company itself or law enforcement—can see conversations that take place on the app. This has made the platform a center for free speech, particularly in non-democratic countries that stifle news at the state level. The flip side, however, is that Telegram has also become a breeding ground for criminal activities, extremism and disinformation. Durov’s arrest was specifically related to Telegram’s lack of content moderation, which has reportedly led to the propagation of pedophilia.
“Telegram abides by E.U. laws, including the Digital Services Act,” the company said in a statement on X on Sunday, adding, “Telegram’s CEO Pavel Durov has nothing to hide and travels frequently in Europe.”
A potential criminal trial could set a precedent in the European Union for executives of social media companies being held responsible for content moderation on their platforms. The most recently passed applicable legislation in the E.U. is the Digital Services Act (DSA), which aims “to create a safer digital space in which the fundamental rights of all users of digital services are protected,” including stronger protection of children online and less exposure to illegal content. The DSA is generally considered more strict than previous regulations and was pushed over the finish line after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. So far, there have only been two major rulings relating to the DSA. The first, Delfi AS v. Estonia, upheld the online platform Delfi as liable for hate speech. The second, Index.hu Zrt v. Hungary, determined the case to be an infringement on freedom of expression.
“This arrest may break the holding pattern as it has generated a new outbreak of public discourse about encryption and platform responsibility,” Alexander Linton, a director at Oxen Privacy Tech Foundation, a global privacy tech nonprofit based in Australia, told Observer. “Due to uncertainty, people may turn to more resilient alternatives.” Linton explained that one option includes Session, a decentralized, end-to-end encrypted messaging app run by a community of node operators from around the world.
Durov, originally from Russia, founded Telegram in 2013 with his brother, Nikolai Durov. Today, the app has more than 950 million active users globally. Durov has been historically secretive about sharing where the company operates over the years. Media reports show Durov has been based out of Dubai since 2017 when he fled Russia after refusing to disclose data to the Russian government. Durov became a naturalized citizen of France and the United Arab Emirates in 2021. Arabian Business named Durov the most powerful entrepreneur in Dubai in 2023. Forbes estimates his net worth to be around $15.5 billion.
For now, Telegram remains operational while French officials investigate the case. French President Emmanuel Macron wrote on X about Durov’s arrest, “It is in no way a political decision. It is up to the judges to rule on the matter.”