The billionaire founder and CEO of Telegram, Pavel Durov was released from police custody after four days of questioning by France’s OFMIN, an agency that works to stop violence against minors.

Durov had been detained on Saturday at Le Bourget Airport near Paris as a part of an ongoing judicial investigation into allegations that the messaging app is used for illegal activities. The investigation which began last month involves twelve suspected crimes. After his release, the court has scheduled Durov to appear.

Who is billionaire founder and CEO of Telegram, Pavel Durov? 

39-year-old Pavel Durov is a Russia-born entrepreneur who created Telegram, a popular messaging app known for its end-to-end encryption and ability to host large user groups.

Telegram competes with other big social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok, Signal and WeChat. Durov aims for Telegram to exceed one billion active monthly users within the coming year. 

Forbes estimates Durov’s wealth at $15.5 billion. He left Russia in 2014 after refusing to comply with shutting down opposition groups on his previous social network, Vkontakte, which he sold later. He moved to Dubai in 2017 and reportedly became a French citizen in 2021. 

Why was Telegram’s CEO Pavel Durov arrested? 

France’s OFMIN has issued an arrest warrant for Durov as part of a preliminary investigation into multiple allegations. These serious allegations include: 

• Fraud 

• Drug trafficking  

• Cyberbullying 

• Organized crime 

• Terrorism 

The investigation centers on claims that Durov failed to properly manage Telegram, which allowed criminal activities to continue. 

As per the sources, an investigator commented on the case and stated that Telegram should not be above the law and expressed surprise that Durov traveled to Paris despite being a wanted person. 

Telegram’s Privacy Policy and commitment 

Telegram operates from Dubai, which has allowed it to bypass strict moderation laws present in Western countries. The platform promotes itself as a privacy-centered option compared to U.S. owned services, criticizing them for misusing users’ data. Telegram promises to safeguard user information and not disclosing it to authorities. 

Durov has mentioned in many old interviews that he created Telegram to provide a secure communication platform after dealing with pressure from the Russian government while managing VKontakte. He tried to settle in various cities, including Berlin, London, Singapore and San Fransico, before choosing Dubai for its favorable business environment and neutrality. 

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev’s Warning 

Former Russian President and Deputy Head of Russia’s Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, stated, “Durov wanted to be a ‘brilliant “man of the world” who lives wonderfully without a Motherland.” He added, “He miscalculated,” Medvedev said. “For all our common enemies now, he is Russian—and therefore unpredictable and dangerous. Durov should finally realize that one cannot chose one’s the fatherland”. 

According to Reuters, Medvedev had a conversation with Durov a few years back in which he warned Durov that if he refused to cooperate with law enforcement agencies, he would face problems in any country. 

Criticisms from Tech Leaders on the Previous Arrest 

 The arrest of CEO of Telegram Pavel Durov has drawn criticism from several prominent people from the tech industry. The tech leaders have made the following statements: 

CEO of Tesla Elon Musk criticized the arrest and tweeted, “POV: It’s 2030 in Europe and you’re being executed for liking a meme” along with a post of arrest of Pavel Durov from OSINT Defender (Open-Source Intelligence Monitor focused on Europe and Conflicts across the World). 

Vitalik Buterin, a Canadian computer programmer and co-founder of Ethereum, also took to X and commented, “I’ve criticized Telegram before for not being serious with encryption. But (given the info available so far: the charge seems to be just being “unmoderated” and not giving up people’s data), this looks very bad and worrying for the future of software and comms freedom in Europe”. 

Additionally, the former NSA whistleblower, Edward Snowden denounced the arrest of Durov and quoted the arrest as an “Assault on the basic human rights of speech and association” and commented, “The arrest of @Durov is an assault on the basic human rights of speech and association”.

He extended, “I am surprised and deeply saddened that (French President Emmanuel) Macron has descended to the level of taking hostages as a means for gaining access to private communications.” He further cited that this act would tarnish France’s global reputation. 

On the other hand, an American entrepreneur Balaji Srinivasan commented, “France doesn’t care about crime, they care about control. Is Macron held personally responsible for every crime in France? No. So why is Durov expected to manage every action on Telegram?”.