Who is Telegram creator Pavel Durov, who was detained in France?
What is the narrative?
The wealthy businessman Pavel Durov, who created the well-known messaging service Telegram, is being held at the French airport of Le Bourget. When Durov arrived in Azerbaijan on his own jet, he was taken into custody. TF1 and BFM TV, two French media agencies, broke the arrest's details first. Allegations that there was inadequate content monitoring on Durov's site, which allegedly enabled illegal activity, are linked to his detention.
International curiosity is piqued by the arrest
Regarding Durov's detention, neither the French interior ministry nor the police have yet to respond. Nonetheless, the foreign ministry of Russia has stated that it plans to "explain" the incident's circumstances. Concerning whether Western non-governmental organizations (NGOs) will push for his release, the ministry also raised doubts. This widespread attention highlights how profoundly Durov's imprisonment has affected discussions about privacy and communication around the world.
From Russia to international acclaim
In 2013, businessman Durov, who was born in Russia, founded Telegram. Since then, the website has developed into a vital source of information for people in Russia, Ukraine, and the former Soviet Union. After defying orders from the authorities to close down opposition communities on VKontakte (VK), a different platform he developed, Durov left Russia in 2014. In 2017, he moved to Dubai, and in 2021, he obtained French citizenship.
Timeline culminating with an arrest
Durov placed a major emphasis on free expression, encryption, and privacy when he launched Telegram. Governments began to closely monitor Telegram between 2014 and 2021 due to the fact that different groups were using it to plan protests and distribute extremist information. Governments put further pressure on Telegram in 2022–2023 by requesting tougher filtering in order to tackle illicit content. Durov was finally taken into custody in France yesterday.
Durov's views on free speech and content moderation
Durov has continuously rejected calls from governments all across the world to restrict content or open backdoors to Telegram throughout the platform's existence. His standing as a champion of free expression has increased as a result of this position. However, other European countries have also criticized it, including as France, claiming that criminals and extremist groups have used Telegram's low moderation measures for illicit purposes.
Arresting Durov and the geopolitical significance of Telegram
Durov has insisted that Telegram, which has 900 million active users, should stay a "neutral platform" and not get involved in geopolitics, even in the face of pressure from some governments. After Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Telegram became the main platform for uncensored content regarding the conflict and related politics. Forbes estimates that Durov is worth $15.5 billion.