Telegram Creator Pavel Durov Detained in France for Failure in Regulating Content
The detention of Pavel Durov, the initiator and top executive of the widely-used messaging application Telegram, occurred in France on Saturday, as reported by French TV station TF1.
Durov’s apprehension is supposedly linked to a warrant issued concerning an initial police inquiry.
According to TF1, the investigation is concentrating on the deficiency in regulating content on the real-time messaging service, which authorities found problematic, resulting in the platform becoming a center for various unlawful activities such as drug trafficking, child exploitation, money laundering, and deception.
The lenient approach to moderation on Telegram has been a matter of dispute, encouraging cybercrime and changing the platform into a focal point for malicious actors to coordinate their activities, distribute malware, and trade illicit information and goods.
“This messaging platform has evolved into a lively center where experienced cyber offenders and newcomers share illegal tools and knowledge creating a shadowy and well-organized stream of tools and victims’ data,” stated Guardio Labs in a report earlier this year.
Operating from Dubai, Telegram boasts over 950 million monthly active users as of July 2024. It recently unveiled an in-app browser and a Mini App Store, essentially repositioning itself as a super app akin to Tencent’s WeChat.
(The story is still developing. For further updates, stay tuned.)
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