France seizes ‘Telegram’ founder Pavel Durov – DW – 08/25/2024

Pavel Durov, the billionaire founder and CEO of the messaging app TelegramAccording to media reports, he was arrested on Saturday (08/24/2024) evening at Bourget airport, outside Paris. TF1 TV And BFM TVCiting unnamed sources in France.

Telegram – particularly influential in Russia, Ukraine and the republics of the former Soviet Union – is ranked as one of the leading social media platforms Facebook, YouTube, Whatsapp, Instagram, TikTok And WeChat. Durov’s fate was predicted Forbes at $15.5 billion and has 900 million active users of its applications.

Company TelegramBased in Dubai, it was founded by Russian Durov, who left Russia in 2014 after refusing to comply with government demands to shut down opposition groups on its platform. VK Of the social network, which he sold.

Durov was traveling through Azerbaijan on his private plane TF1 Who said he was the subject of an arrest warrant in France as part of a preliminary police investigation. TF1 And BFM He assured that the said investigation is focused on the lack of mediators Telegram And the police believed that in such a situation, criminal activity through messaging applications would continue unhindered.

Telegram The agency did not immediately respond to a request for comment Reuters.The French interior ministry and police also did not comment.

The importance of Telegram For Russia and Ukraine

After Russia launches an invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Telegram It has become the main source of unfiltered information from both sides about the war and the politics surrounding the conflict – and with sometimes graphic and misleading content.

This app is the preferred means of communication for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his officials. The Kremlin and the Russian government also use it to spread their news. In addition, it has become one of the few places where the Russian population can get news about the war.

AMA (Reuters, AFP, EFE, dpa)