Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of Telegram, was arrested on Saturday at France’s Bourget airport in Paris. The Russian-born billionaire was reportedly detained due to concerns over Telegram’s insufficient content moderation practices.
Telegram is one of the most widely used social media platforms globally, With nearly 1 billion users, the app allows encrypted messaging in groups as large as 200,000 members. While it is a popular tool for journalists, activists, and dissidents, Telegram has also been exploited by extremist groups and individuals involved in illegal activities such as drug trafficking and the distribution of child sexual abuse materials.

Positioning itself as a stronghold for free speech, Telegram operates with a minimal staff, fewer than 100 employees compared to the vast teams at Meta, YouTube, and TikTok. Durov’s arrest coincides with the European Union’s rollout of the Digital Services Act, which now enforces more stringent content moderation standards.