Pavel Durov, the founder of the popular social media platform Telegram who was recently arrested by French authorities after his private jet landed at an airport north of Paris has been released on bail with one of the conditions being he not leave the country, a statement by prosecutors released on the evening of Aug. 28 reads.
The Russian billionaire tech mogul, who is also a citizen of both France and the United Arab Emirates, where Telegram is based, has been placed under judicial supervision after he posted bail in the amount of 5 million euros (US$5.56 million). He is required to report to the French police at least twice a week, in addition to not being allowed to leave the country.
Durov, a libertarian and free speech absolutist, was arrested under a warrant related to charges concerning the Telegram platform, which has about 1 billion users.
Authorities are reportedly investigating Durov for the lack of moderation on his app, and accuse him of failing to take reasonable steps to curb criminal use of the platform.
The app is accused of failing to cooperate with authorities over drug trafficking, child sexual exploitation material, and fraud.
Who is Pavel Durov?
Success
You are now signed up for our newsletter
Success
Check your email to complete sign up
Durov, 39, has been referred to as the “Russian Mark Zuckerberg.” Before developing Telegram, Durov founded a popular social media platform, VKontakte (VK) in Russia, which, at a time, outpaced Facebook with Russian users.
Currently, VK says it is the “largest European social network with more than 100 million active users,” with the goal of keeping “old friends, ex-classmates, neighbors and colleagues in touch.”
Durov left Russia in 2014 due to increasing pressure from the Russian government who began to demand he provide user data of Ukrainian activists. The Russian government was also seeking that Durov provide information on opposition groups active on the platform.
He refused to comply, which led to increasing pressure, and he finally sold all his shares in VK and fled in 2014 and has since lived in various countries.
Durov is known for his strong advocacy for free speech, privacy and encryption. He began coding when he was 10 years old and developed a passion for art that led him to develop his social media platforms.
He has a reputation for being both private and elusive and is known to maintain a relatively low public profile and very rarely grants interviews.
READ MORE:
- Japan on Edge Following ‘Unprecedented’ Airspace Breach By Chinese Military Plane
- NYC-based Pro-democracy Activist Charged With Spying for Communist China
- RFK Jr. Suspends Presidential Campaign and Endorses Trump
Tech sphere reacts
Durov’s arrest elicited a reaction from nearly every social media giant, including Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg.
Musk posted the hashtag “#FreePavel” to his social media platform, X, along with an interview with Durov conducted by former Fox News anchor, Tucker Carlson. Musk also responded with a “100” emoji to a post saying Musk could be next.
On Nostr, one of former Twitter founder Jack Dorsey’s new projects, Dorsey posted, “The guy should be freed.”
Chris Pavlovski, the CEO of video streaming platform Rumble, also protested Durov’s arrest, and added that he himself had left the EU after the news broke.
Rumble, advertised as having less censorship than YouTube, has also been targeted by the French authorities for not removing Russian media accounts banned by the EU over the war in Ukraine.
Linda Yaccarino, CEO of X, quoted George Washington, posting, “If freedom of speech is taken away, then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.”
Mark Zuckerberg did not directly reference Durov, however, on Monday, Aug. 26, he sent a letter to American politicians distancing himself from any form of government censorship.
In the letter, Zuckerberg said that the Biden administration took steps to “pressure” Meta to remove content concerning COVID-19.
“The government pressure was wrong,” he said, “and I regret that we were not more outspoken about it.”
READ MORE:
- ‘Breaking with the Communist Party in my heart is not enough’: Statements From the Tuidang Movement (June 2024)
- Landmark ‘Falun Gong Protection Act’ Clears House With Unanimous Approval
Russian reaction
Durov’s arrest has also raised fears in both Russia and Ukraine, where his app is extremely popular and an indispensable tool for sharing uncensored information among military personnel and citizens amidst Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Despite how Durov operated his social media platforms and his refusal to cooperate with the Russian authorities, the Kremlin has reacted to his arrest negatively.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said, “It seems to me that all this has once again demonstrated the true attitude of the French leadership, which has blatantly trampled on international norms in the field of protecting freedom of speech and expression, for only one reason — because it they protect certain standards, they must not only comply with them, they must protect and implement them.”
The Russian Embassy in France, meanwhile, “demanded that [France] ensure the protection of [Durov’s] rights and provide consular access,” adding that they were in contact with his lawyer.
The Kremlin has also taken steps to calm fears in Russia about the fate of Telegram, with Russian government spokesman Dmitry Peskov attempting to dispel fears that users should delete all their sensitive messages on the app, CNN reported.
Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron insisted on Monday that Durov’s arrest was “in no way political,” but only a rare intervention into a judicial matter.
