PARIS - Pavel Durov, the Russian-born CEO of encrypted messaging app Telegram, was arrested at at Le Bourget airport in France over the weekend, amid allegations about offences related to the service, according to AFP.
French President Emanuel Macron confined today that the arrest is not politically motivated.
While Telegram says its CEO has "nothing to hide", French media reports suggest the billionaire executive remained in custody into Sunday as authorities investigate allegations of fraud, drug trafficking, organised crime, terrorism promotion and cyber-bullying related to the messaging platform. No formal charge sheet has yet been published.
"Telegram abides by EU laws, including the Digital Services Act — its moderation is within industry standards and constantly improving," the company said in a statement.
Based in Dubai, Telegram Messenger is one of the top five most downloaded apps in the world, according to the company. In 2024, it passed 900 million monthly active users.
The Russian embassy in Paris issued a statement saying it had asked for clarifications about the arrest, but had not heard back from the French side.
The arrest has sparked an outcry online among proponents of privacy and encryption, with figures such as Tesla (TSLA) CEO Elon Musk coming out to support him. Musk posted a clip on X of Durov being interviewed with the text #FreePavel.
Meanwhile, the co-creator of cryptocurrency ethereum (ETH-USD) Vitalik Buterin wrote: "This looks very bad and worrying for the future of software and comms freedom in Europe."
Whistleblower Edward Snowden also said the arrest was "an assault on the basic human rights of speech and association."
He added: "I am surprised and deeply saddened that Macron has descended to the level of taking hostages as a means for gaining access to private communications. It lowers not only France, but the world."
The price of toncoin (TON11419-USD), the cryptocurrency associated with Telegram, which people can use as an in-app form of payment, down about 13% following the news.
