Authorities arrested suspect Pavel Durov on Saturday at Bourget airport outside Paris, Bloomberg reported.
The billionaire founder and CEO of popular messaging app Telegram has reportedly been arrested. Confirmed Russian Embassy in Paris, Bloomberg ReportedAfter French media first reported Durov's arrest, citing anonymous sources, the embassy sought confirmation from French authorities.
Telegram messaging app CEO Pavel Durov arrested in France, TF1 TV reports https://t.co/AZsS5XGwRv pic.twitter.com/WxrEGaduYH
— Reuters (@Reuters) August 24, 2024
“We immediately asked the French authorities for an explanation and demanded that his rights be protected and that he be given consular access,” a statement on the embassy's Telegram account said, according to Bloomberg. “As of today, the French side is avoiding dialogue on the issue.”(RELATED: Defense Secretary Austin says DOD “doesn't know” who leaked classified documents online)
According to Reuters, the arrests are linked to a French police investigation into Telegram's moderation policies, or lack thereof. statedFrench authorities suspect Durov of failing to prevent criminal use of the messaging service, Bloomberg reported, according to AFP news agency. He is due to appear in court on Sunday.
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – APRIL 26: In this photo illustration, the Telegram logo appears on a mobile phone screen in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on April 26, 2023. (Photo illustration by Buda Mendes/Getty Images)
The 39-year-old billionaire was detained in France on an arrest warrant while traveling on a private jet from Azerbaijan, according to Reuters. telegram With around 900 million active users worldwide, and especially influential in Russia, Ukraine and other former Soviet republics, the messaging app is a channel for unfiltered information, News Media, Fact-checking organizations and Ministry of Health To deliver verified information to millions of users, Website.
As of now, Telegram has not released a statement regarding Durov's arrest.
The Daily Caller has reached out to Telegram for more information but has not yet received a response.
