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Founder and CEO of Telegram Pavel Durov delivers a keynote speech throughout the Cellular World Congress in Barcelona, Spain February 23, 2016. REUTERS
Durov was anticipated to seem in courtroom on Sunday
French police arrested Pavel Durov, billionaire founder and CEO of Telegram, at an airport close to Paris on Saturday for alleged offences associated to the messaging app.
The 39-year-old was detained at Le Bourget airport north of the French capital on Saturday night. He had simply travelled from Baku, Azerbaijan. Durov was anticipated to seem in courtroom on Sunday.
France’s OFMIN, an company tasked with stopping violence in opposition to minors, had issued an arrest warrant for Durov because the coordinating company in a preliminary investigation into alleged offences together with fraud, drug trafficking, cyberbullying, organised crime and promotion of terrorism.
Durov is suspected of failing to take motion to curb the legal use of his platform. “Sufficient of Telegram’s impunity,” mentioned one of many investigators, including they have been shocked Durov got here to Paris figuring out he was a wished man.
Telegram
Telegram, significantly influential in Russia, Ukraine and the republics of the previous Soviet Union, is ranked as one of many main social media platforms after Fb, YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok and Wechat. It goals to hit one billion customers within the subsequent 12 months.
Based mostly in Dubai, Telegram was based by Russian-born Durov. He left Russia in 2014 after refusing to adjust to authorities calls for to close down opposition communities on his VK social media platform, which he offered.
After Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Telegram has grow to be the primary supply of unfiltered – and generally graphic and deceptive – content material from each side in regards to the struggle and the politics surrounding the battle.
The app has grow to be most well-liked technique of communications for Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky and his officers. The Kremlin and the Russian authorities additionally use it to disseminate their information. It has additionally grow to be one of many few locations the place Russians can entry information in regards to the struggle.
Durov, whose fortune was estimated by Forbes at $15.5 billion, mentioned some governments had sought to stress him however the app, which has now 900 million energetic customers, ought to stay a “impartial platform” and never a “participant in geopolitics”.
(With company inputs)
