Telegram CEO Durov Criticizes French Authorities Over Arrest

Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of Telegram, has publicly denounced his recent arrest by French authorities, calling it “misguided” and an overreach. Durov, who was detained on August 25 at an airport near Paris, is under formal investigation for his alleged involvement in facilitating illicit activities on his messaging platform, including drug trafficking, fraud, and the distribution of child sex abuse material.

In his first public statement since his detention, Durov refuted accusations that Telegram operates as an “anarchic paradise,” describing such claims as “absolutely untrue.” He contends that it is unfair to hold him personally responsible for crimes committed by users on the platform, arguing that the appropriate recourse for dissatisfaction with an internet service is legal action against the service itself rather than its CEO.

The formal investigation in France, which does not imply guilt or guarantee a trial, suggests that judges believe there is sufficient reason to examine the case further. Durov, who is both a Russian and French national, criticized the approach, asserting that it reflects outdated legal frameworks. “Using laws from the pre-smartphone era to charge a CEO with crimes committed by third parties on the platform he manages is a misguided approach,” he said. He added that such practices could deter innovators from creating new technologies if they fear personal liability for misuse.

Despite acknowledging that Telegram is not flawless, Durov emphasized that the platform has robust mechanisms for addressing harmful content. He noted that Telegram removes millions of harmful posts and channels daily and has an official representative in the European Union to handle regulatory issues. Durov’s response also included a commitment to improving the platform’s moderation systems to better handle the challenges posed by its large user base, which he reported has grown to 950 million.

Telegram’s moderation practices have faced criticism, particularly regarding the platform’s role in the spread of misinformation and extremist content. Critics argue that the app’s capacity for large group sizes—up to 200,000 members—facilitates the spread of conspiracies, neo-Nazi ideologies, and illegal activities. Recent scrutiny in the UK highlighted concerns about Telegram hosting far-right channels involved in organizing violent events.

Despite these issues, Durov pointed out that Telegram does take action against problematic content and has faced growing pains due to its rapid user expansion. “An abrupt increase in the number of users has made it easier for criminals to abuse our platform,” he admitted, promising to address these issues and enhance the app’s safety features.

Further complicating the situation, it has  reported last week that Telegram has declined to participate in international initiatives aimed at detecting and removing child abuse material from the internet. This decision has fueled additional criticism of the platform’s content moderation practices.

Durov, who is 39 and now resides in Dubai, where Telegram is based, holds citizenship in both the United Arab Emirates and France. He founded Telegram in 2013, and the app has gained significant popularity in Russia, Ukraine, and other former Soviet states. Although Telegram was banned in Russia in 2018 due to Durov’s refusal to share user data, the ban was lifted in 2021.

Telegram remains one of the major social media platforms, ranking alongside giants like Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok, and WeChat. Despite its success and large user base, the platform continues to navigate complex regulatory challenges and criticisms regarding its content moderation practices.