Telegram defends its CEO Pavel Durov, calling his arrest by French authorities over content moderation issues “absurd” and emphasizing his commitment to transparency.
Telegram has strongly defended its CEO, Pavel Durov, after French authorities detained him over the weekend, accusing the messaging app’s founder of failing to adequately moderate illegal content on the platform. The Russia-born billionaire was arrested at Paris-Le Bourget airport on Saturday evening, following his arrival from Azerbaijan on a private jet, according to reports from French media.
Durov’s detention has sparked significant controversy, with Telegram describing the accusations as “absurd.” The platform issued a statement on Sunday asserting that its content moderation practices meet industry standards and are continuously improving. Telegram emphasized its compliance with EU regulations, including the recently enacted Digital Services Act, which mandates stricter policing of harmful content and disinformation.
“It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner are responsible for abuse of that platform,” Telegram stated, expressing confidence in a swift resolution to the situation.
Durov’s arrest represents the most severe action taken against a social media executive to date, heightening the global debate over the balance between free speech and online safety. High-profile figures, including Elon Musk, have criticized the arrest, with Musk promoting the hashtag “#freepavel” on his platform X.
The Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed that Durov is under investigation for allegedly failing to curb illegal activities facilitated through Telegram, including terrorism, drug trafficking, and child exploitation. While there were reports of an outstanding arrest warrant, Telegram maintains that Durov, who frequently travels across Europe, has “nothing to hide.”
Known as the “Mark Zuckerberg of Russia,” Durov co-founded the popular Russian social network VKontakte before fleeing Russia in 2014, after allegedly refusing to hand over data on Ukrainian activists to Moscow. Since then, he has focused on developing Telegram, which now boasts nearly a billion users and serves as a critical communication tool in global conflict zones.
Despite his efforts to distance Telegram from Russia, Durov’s Russian origins have fueled speculation about political motivations behind his arrest. Russian officials have called for his release, with some suggesting the detainment is politically driven. The Russian embassy in France has also requested consular access to Durov.
As the situation unfolds, the international community continues to debate the role of social media platforms in regulating content while balancing the principles of free speech and security.
(Associated Medias) – All rights reserved
