Messaging service Telegram has issued a statement denouncing the arrest of its CEO Pavel Durov by French authorities for alleged failures in content moderation.
“It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner are responsible for abuse of that platform,” the company said on X, emphasising that it complies with European Union regulations.
“Telegram abides by EU laws, including the Digital Services Act — its moderation is within industry standards and constantly improving.”
The Dubai-headquartered platform also stated that Franco-Russian billionaire Durov regularly travelled within Europe and “has nothing to hide”.
Still, Durov has primarily visited the United Arab Emirates, Eastern Europe and South America, avoiding countries where Telegram is under official surveillance or investigation, such as India.
⚖️ Telegram abides by EU laws, including the Digital Services Act — its moderation is within industry standards and constantly improving.
✈️ Telegram's CEO Pavel Durov has nothing to hide and travels frequently in Europe.
?? It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner…
— Telegram Messenger (@telegram) August 25, 2024
As reported by French media, the Telegram founder and chief was arrested on August 24 at Le Bourget airport just North of Paris.
Durov was registered in the FPR and had just arrived from Azerbaijan. FPR – Fichier des personnes recherchées (File of Wanted People) – is a French database of suspected criminals and wanted people run by the French interior ministry and used by the national police and other law enforcement agencies in France.
French authorities allege that Durov’s lack of moderation, failure to co-operate with law enforcement and Telegram’s features such as s0-called disposable numbers and cryptocurrency transaction enablement make him complicit in drug trafficking, child exploitation and fraud.
A source close to the investigation, quoted by French media outlet LCI, said on August 24: “He [Durov] made a mistake this evening. We don’t know why… Was this arrest just a stepping stone? In any case, he’s in custody.”
Durov’s detainment marks the most drastic action against a social media chief to date. His arrest also fuels the ongoing global debate about free speech.
In response to his being held, X platform owner CEO Elon Musk criticised French authorities, tweeting,:”Liberté. Liberté? Liberté!” and showing support for the Franco-Russian billionaire with the hashtag #FreePavel.
Musk also urged his followers to share X posts, particularly in countries with heavy censorship, emphasising the importance of supporting free speech.
It is vital to the support of free speech that you forward ? posts to people you know, especially in censorship-heavy countries
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 25, 2024
Telegram has promoted itself as a secure, cloud-based app for messaging and audio calls.
“All messages in secret chats use end-to-end encryption. This means only you and the recipient can read those messages — nobody else can decipher them, including us here at Telegram,” it says on it website.
Founded in 2013, Telegram has surged in popularity in recent years, now nearing 1 billion monthly active users.
