Telegram CEO Durov Calls His Arrest ‘Misguided’

Pavel Durov, founder and CEO of Telegram, has criticized French authorities following his arrest last week over claims that the messaging app isn’t doing enough to moderate content. In his first statement since the arrest, Durov called the charges “misguided.”

Durov was arrested on August 25 at an airport near Paris. He is now under formal investigation for allegedly allowing illegal activities like drug trafficking, fraud, and child abuse materials to spread on Telegram. In France, being under formal investigation means there is enough evidence to continue looking into the case, but it does not mean a person is guilty.

In his statement on Telegram, Durov expressed surprise at being blamed for crimes committed by users of the platform. He argued that if a country has issues with an internet service, it should take legal action against the service itself, not its CEO. He added that holding tech leaders personally responsible for the misuse of their platforms is a “misguided” approach that could stop innovation.

Durov also pushed back against claims that Telegram is an “anarchic paradise” for illegal content, insisting the platform removes millions of harmful posts and channels every day. He said French authorities have ways to contact him and Telegram’s representative in the European Union if there are concerns.

Telegram has often been criticized for allowing large groups, with up to 200,000 members, which some say makes it easier for false information and extremist content to spread.

In the UK, the app recently faced scrutiny for hosting far-right channels linked to violent protests in English cities. Although Telegram has removed some groups, experts say its content moderation is weaker than other social media platforms.

Durov admitted that Telegram has faced challenges as its user base has grown to 950 million. He acknowledged that the rapid growth has made it easier for criminals to abuse the platform, but he promised to improve moderation efforts.

This comes after reports that Telegram has refused to join international efforts to detect and remove child abuse material online, raising further concerns about its moderation practices.

Pavel Durov, 39, was born in Russia and now lives in Dubai, where Telegram is based. He holds citizenship in the United Arab Emirates and France. Telegram, launched in 2013, is especially popular in Russia, Ukraine, and other former Soviet states. The app was banned in Russia in 2018 after Durov refused to hand over user data, but the ban was lifted in 2021.

Today, Telegram ranks among the top social media platforms, alongside Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok, and WeChat.