On August 26, 2024, Pavel Durov, CEO, and the owner of the popular messaging application Telegram went to France. But only after he had been detained at Le Bourget airport near the capital of Paris did people begin to take an interest in it. Many questions have arisen about what he had cracked: how the administration of this prosperous organization has found itself in defiance and what this event can lead to for the technological guru in the future.
We will consider the reasons for his arrest in this article. What happens to Telegram Next?
Who is Pavel Durov?
Pavel durov, the founder of two major technology companies, VKontakte (VK) and Telegram. He was born in Leningrad on October 10, 1984, and raised for part of his early childhood in Turin, where his father held a professor position there. He returned to Russia in 2001 and studied at Saint Petersburg State University, where he qualified as a philologist in the year of his graduation, 2006.
The tech world already knows Pavel Durov as the “Russian Mark Zuckerberg”.
He went on to create VK in 2006, the most popular social networking site in Russia at the time, which was modeled after Facebook. But he eventually fell out with the investors in VK and, more crucially, with Russia’s government when it tried to pressure him into handing over user data on political grounds. When he did not give up the details, VK forced him out in 2014.
Durov created the messaging app Telegram in 2013, following his departure from VK. Telegram has been praised by privacy advocates for having options not found on other Viber alternatives. Messages are heavily encrypted and self-destructive once read by recipient parties. Despite being blocked by the Russian government, Telegram rapidly gained tens of millions of users from all over the globe.
Durov has expressed libertarian and like-minded ambitions, real concerns about human rights defenders, supported privacy discussions, and an interest in cryptocurrencies. He has been called an “anarcho-capitalist” for his views on internet governance and cryptocurrencies.
Pavel repeatedly delayed the launch of his Gram cryptocurrency and Telegram Open Network technology in 2018 amid regulatory uncertainty from U.S. authorities, who eventually obtained a court order blocking its release after alleging that no one would stop either system once it launched. The series star has his citizenship tied up in St. Kitts and Nevis, France, and the UAE. In 2024, Durov was arrested in France for negligence related to criminal affairs during Telegram (the conclusion of this instance is unknown). Over the years, Durov has stood up for online freedom and privacy, making him a big player in tech.
Background of the Arrest
The arrest of Durov was launched by a warrant issued by L’Office Mineurs (OFMIN) of France’s specialized violence against minors agency. The warrant alleges that Telegram has been used to promote, amongst others, drug dealing and cyberbullying.
Even the spread of terrorism, the spotlight was shifted to Durov, as the CEO of Telegram, At present, he is being held responsible for platforms lack of due diligence in restricting the use of these kinds of illegal activities.
Why was Pavel Durov arrested?
There have been no details as to the reasons behind Durov’s arrest yet, but several unconfirmed theories and reports are suggesting:
Key Reasons for the Arrest:
Compliance and Regulatory Issues: Nevertheless, issues around compliance and regulations came off as many countries started insisting their data sharing policies for technology companies, and Telegram was enforced to reveal user data with law enforcement. Such non-compliance often puts Telegram into trouble with the relevant authorities and may bring the owners of one of the large services in line to account for their actions.
Worries of Disinformation and Radicalism: As Telegram gains more users, so do groups that use it for disinformation campaigns, illegal activities, or spreading extremist ideas. Durov has long held to a position of not policing what can be found on Telegram, but this lack of action against all sorts of bad behavior has brought accusations that the firm is providing a safe harbor for illegal activities and could potentially face legal challenges.
International Legal Issues: There are whispered rumors of an international warrant or legal request that motivated the Durov arrest. With Telegram being used all over the world, not to mention in a number of different geopolitical conflicts around our planet, there could be legal issues across multiple jurisdictions
Regulation of Cryptocurrency: Telegram was recently involved in offering a cryptocurrency named Gram, which the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said generally failed to comply with securities laws when it launched earlier this year. Ongoing participation or other projects of the sort might have prompted additional lawful action, and if so, there may have been a part cause concerning why he was arrested.
Countries Going Global or Sanctions: First of all, in the light of current geopolitical tensions and Telegram’s influence, it could have been done for political reasons. Durov is no stranger to his views running counter to those of governments; he has a history as an outspoken privacy and free-speech advocate.
Data Privacy Concerns: Being one of the most privacy-focused messaging apps, Telegram and data breaches are older stories. The company has always refused to hand over backdoors or anything related to it developed by Russian agencies, who got no chills for their access rights requests being declined by none other than the State Department, where back in 2018 Instagram was banned as well (do you also recall this story?). Perhaps regulators are probing how Telegram has facilitated anti-intermediaries communicating securely in a way that could involve some form of illegal activity.
Telegram’s Defense
Meanwhile, Telegram fiercely denies these claims, calling them “ridiculous.” It was also said that it follows EU laws like the DSA, and content moderation is typical for the industry.
A Telegram spokesperson said that the service has been “challenging itself to give more ability” and added that Durov should not be held accountable for each use of his thoughts on the platform.
The company clarified that while it actively works to address illegal content, it is unrealistic to hold Pavel Durov, Telegram’s founder, personally accountable for all activities on the platform.
What’s Next for Telegram and Pavel Durov?
The arrest of Pavel Durov in this war makes quite a noise. Given what we know so far, if the arrest is tied to Telegram’s encryption policies or its refusal to help censor adult content, that sounds like governments stepping up their game on attacking tech firms that prize users’ privacy over playing nice with regulators.
The event could result in renewed focus on Telegram and may even trigger alterations to its policies or governing influence. Given the size of Telegram’s user base and its place in the tech scene today, it will also be one to watch for what its situation can reveal about how encryption and privacy are treated globally going forward.
We should know more as this story unfolds, but why Durov was taken in and what effect his arrest could have on Telegram itself are yet to be unearthed.
