Telegram: CEO arrested-interesting facts about the messenger app

Telegram: CEO arrested-interesting facts about the messenger app

The arrest of Pavel Durov, the CEO of Telegram, in France last weekend, the popular messaging service and its mysterious founders moved into the spotlight.

background of the arrest

The Durov born in Russia was arrested on Saturday at Bourget Airport in Paris on the basis of an arrest warrant that relates to the lack of moderation of content on Telegram. According to the French prosecutor Laure Beccuau, the allegations include that his platform has supported fraudsters, money launderers, drug dealers and widens from children's pornographic content. Beccuau added that Durov was accused of refusing to provide "information or documents" in connection with the investigation.

The legal status of Durov

On Wednesday, the French prosecutors announced that Durov was formally under investigation and that France should not leave. This does not automatically mean a guilt in the French legal system, but represents the next step in a serious official investigation. He has to stay in the country under judicial supervision, with a deposit of $ 5.56 million, and is obliged to appear twice a week on the police station.

criticism and debate

durov's arrest has triggered a debate about freedom of expression and responsibility for illegal content on the Internet. The Russian MP Maria Butina, who was convicted of espionage in the USA in 2019 and deported to Russia, described the CEO on Sunday as "political prisoner". Jedoch erklärte der französische Präsident Emmanuel Macron in einer Aussage auf X, dass Durovs Festnahme „in keiner Weise eine politische Decision ”was. Macron emphasized that the arrest was carried out as part of an ongoing judicial investigation.

What is Telegram?

Telegram is an encrypted messaging service founded in 2013 by Durov and his brother Nikolai. The app now has more than 950 million users and is one of the most used messaging platforms worldwide. The platform has developed into an important means of communication in many countries in which users have everyday conversations, send photos and documents and spread government messages.

advantages and risks of the platform

Since the conversations are encrypted on the app, law enforcement authorities - and Telegram itself - have little insight into what users post. This privacy Hattelegram has made an important means of communication in countries in which freedom of expression is limited, such as Russia, Iran and India. The app has also become popular in Ukraine, where it has become an important tool for spreading news about the war and warnings of air strikes.

However, these same protective measures have also led to the service in drug dealers, money washers and extremists, including white supremacists and terrorist groups such as IS, is popular.

a controversial service

In addition to their use by criminals and extremists, Telegram also had to justify themselves because of their role in large conflicts and political events as well as their refusal to give up their encryption obligation. Russia tried to ban Telegram in 2018 because the company refused to provide the state's security services to the state's security services. Durov refused to accept the ban that was ultimately lifted in 2020.

about Pavel Durov

Durov, the billion -dollar founder and CEO of Telegram, was born in the Soviet Union in 1984. He showed a talent for mathematics and programming early on. In 2006 he founded Vkontakte, a social media page, and became known as "the Mark Zuckerberg of Russia". After a conflict with the Russian government, he left the country in 2014 and started Telegram. Today Durov lives in Dubai, where Telegram has its headquarters, and also has French citizenship.

In addition to his role at Telegram, Durov has developed into an online personality that shares and indicates images of his travels to have generated over 100 children through sperm donations in the past 15 years.