Telegram’s CEO, Pavel Durov, is released from incarceration.
Pavel Durov Released from Police Custody in France
Arrested at the airport
Pavel Durov, the chief executive of Telegram, has been released from police custody in France. However, his legal troubles are far from over as he will have to appear in court for a number of alleged offenses related to his popular messaging platform. Durov, who was born in Russia but holds citizenship, was arrested at an airport in Paris after arriving on his private jet. Telegram’s headquarters are located in the United Arab Emirates.
French Authorities’ Allegations
The French authorities have accused Durov of facilitating criminal activity such as drug trafficking and the spread of child sexual abuse material through his platform. Despite being legally obligated to do so, Durov allegedly refused to share information with investigators regarding these issues. Conservative figures in the United States, including Elon Musk, have criticized the arrest as a hindrance to free speech. Meanwhile, Telegram has defended itself, stating that it is absurd to hold the platform or its owner responsible for the misuse of the platform.
Ongoing Investigation and Encryption Concerns
The French authorities are also searching for Durov’s brother, Nikolai, who is the co-founder of Telegram. The investigation into Telegram has been ongoing for months. While Telegram presents itself as a private messaging service, cryptography experts have criticized the platform for not offering end-to-end encryption by default. They argue that without this feature, it is not advisable to use Telegram for private conversations. Encryption is only available for individual chats, not for group chats, which makes it impossible to have truly private conversations like on WhatsApp or Signal.
