Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, was arrested in France and will appear in court. He is accused of not doing enough to stop illegal and extremist content on the app. Durov was arrested at an airport in Paris and questioned for almost four days. Now, a judge will decide if he should be charged and possibly kept in custody.
Durov is being investigated for 12 offenses related to not controlling extremist and criminal content on Telegram. He founded Telegram after leaving Russia and has become a wealthy and influential figure. However, his detention has raised many questions, with some seeing him
as a champion of free speech and others as a danger who allowed Telegram to get out of control.French President Emmanuel Macron has said that Durov’s arrest was not political and that the judges will decide his fate. The Kremlin has expressed concern, saying the charges are serious and require strong evidence. The UAE, where Telegram is based, is also following the case closely.
Some people, including Elon Musk, are supporting Durov and using the hashtag #FreePavel. Durov has said he has nothing to hide and travels frequently in Europe. Telegram has positioned itself as a neutral alternative to other platforms, but critics accuse it of hosting illegal content.
