Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov has found himself in hot water with French authorities after being arrested last week in connection to allegations of insufficient moderation on the popular messaging app. In a bold statement following his detainment, Durov vehemently denied claims that Telegram is an “anarchic paradise” and criticized the authorities’ approach as “misguided”.
The Russian-born billionaire, who is also a French national, was taken into custody on 25 August at an airport north of Paris and has since been charged with suspected complicity in allowing illicit transactions, drug trafficking, fraud, and the dissemination of child sexual abuse images on his platform. Durov’s defense centered around the argument that holding him personally responsible for crimes committed by third parties on the app is an outdated and ineffective approach.
Durov emphasized that if a country has issues with an internet service, the proper course of action is to pursue legal action against the service itself, rather than targeting the CEO. He highlighted the challenges of building technology and the potential consequences of holding innovators personally accountable for the misuse of their tools.
While acknowledging that Telegram is not without flaws, Durov stressed that the app takes down millions of harmful posts and channels daily and has official representation in the EU. However, critics have raised concerns about Telegram’s moderation practices, particularly its allowance of groups with up to 200,000 members, which some argue facilitates the spread of misinformation and harmful content.
The app has also faced scrutiny in the UK for hosting far-right channels involved in organizing violent incidents. Despite removing some groups, cybersecurity experts have pointed out that Telegram’s moderation of extremist and illegal content is weaker compared to other social media platforms.
Durov admitted that the rapid growth of Telegram’s user base, which he estimated at 950 million, has presented challenges in preventing criminal abuse of the platform. He pledged to make significant improvements in addressing these issues moving forward.
In a concerning development, it was revealed that Telegram has declined to participate in international efforts to combat child abuse material online. Durov, who now resides in Dubai where Telegram is based, has citizenship in the United Arab Emirates and France.
Telegram, founded by Durov in 2013, has gained popularity in Russia, Ukraine, and other former Soviet Union countries. The app was previously banned in Russia in 2018 due to Durov’s refusal to provide user data, but the ban was lifted in 2021. Despite its controversies, Telegram remains a major player in the social media landscape, ranking alongside platforms like Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok, and WeChat.
