Telegram founder Pavel Durov arrested at Paris airport

Pavel Durov, the Russian-French billionaire and founder of the Telegram messaging app, was arrested at Bourget Airport near Paris on Saturday evening, according to TF1 TV and BFM TV. The arrest occurred while Durov was on his private jet, following an arrest warrant issued in France as part of a preliminary police investigation.

The investigation reportedly centres on the lack of moderators on Telegram, which authorities believe has allowed criminal activities to go unchecked on the platform. Durov may face indictment as early as Sunday, French media sources suggest.

Telegram, which has nearly one billion users, is notably influential in Russia, Ukraine, and the former Soviet Union. It ranks among the major social media platforms alongside Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok, and WeChat.

Telegram has not yet responded to a Reuters request for comment. Both the French Interior Ministry and police declined to provide details on the matter.

Durov, who co-founded Telegram with his brother in 2013, left Russia in 2014 after refusing to comply with government demands to shut down opposition communities on his social media platform VKontakte, which he subsequently sold.

He has stated that he preferred freedom over following orders, a sentiment he expressed in an interview with US journalist Tucker Carlson in April.

Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Telegram has emerged as a key source of unfiltered, and at times graphic and misleading, content from both sides of the conflict.

The platform has been described as a 'virtual battlefield,' used extensively by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, his officials, and the Russian government.

Telegram’s ability to circumvent official scrutiny has also made it a critical source for independent news in Russia, particularly as the Kremlin has imposed stricter controls on independent media following the invasion.

The Russian foreign ministry has stated that its embassy in Paris is working to clarify the situation surrounding Durov.