The Billionaire founder of the Telegram app Pavel Durov has been arrested in france.

 

Durov, the billionaire founder of the encrypted messaging app telegram, has been arrested in France according to local news reports.

The 39year old techpreneur was reportedly detained upon his private jet arrival at Le Bourget airport, situated on the outskirts of Paris.

French news outlets BFMTV and TF1 have cited unnamed sources indicating that Pavel Durov's arrest follows a search warrant related to an investigation into the app's moderation practices, and potential criminal activities conducted through the app. However neither French police, interior ministry, nor Telegram has commented on these allegations.

Telegram is one of the world's most downloaded apps, known for it's robust end-to-end encryption and privacy features. It boasts over a billion users, and it's been most influential in country's like Russia, Ukraine, and former Soviet Republics. The platform is a vital tool for pro-democracy movements and has been a significant source of information regarding the war between Russia and Ukraine.

Telegram has faced various criminal activities despite it's popularity, including drug trafficking, money laundering, and the distribution of illegal contents. The app has been utilised by far-right activists, which led to unrest in the UK recently.

The CEO's arrest comes as a surprise to many, as Telegram has been applauded for maintaining a neutral stance amid geopolitical tensions. Pavel Durov, who became a French citizen in August 2021, has been known for keeping the all off political interference.

The foreign ministry of Russia has announced that it is taking steps to confirm details surrounding the arrest. Durov left Russia in 2014 after his former social media company Vkontakte (VK), was taken over following his refusal to comply with government demands to shutdown opposing groups.

Mr Pavel Durov was naturalised as French in August 2021. And he is also a citizen of the United Arab Emirates.

US commentator Tucker Carlson believes Mr Durov has been detained in France for his refusal to "censor the truth" according to the posts he made on X. In an interview with the American TV personality in April, The Telegram founder said that he was determined to keep Telegram free from 'geopolitics' and 'Neutral'.