Telegram: Who is Pavel Durov, the platform’s billionaire founder detained in France?

Due to his technical profile, his fortune and age, many have named Pavel Valerievich Durov as the “Russian Mark Zuckerberg”. Also for his leading role in the world of technology.

As the creator of Facebook, Durov also created a social network, in fact two: the first was VKontakte – The largest social network in Russia which he founded at the age of 22- And the other is one of the most used communication platforms worldwide, Telegram.

The success of both projects has made him one of the world’s most influential tech icons and a renowned businessman at only 39 years old. According to Forbes, His personal wealth is estimated at US$15.5 billion.

But this weekend, French authorities detained the billionaire shortly after his private plane landed at Paris’s Le Bourget airport. Durov is Accused of failing to take action to prevent criminal use of Telegram.

French investigators had issued an arrest warrant for Durov as part of an investigation into allegations of fraud, drug trafficking, organised crime, money laundering, incitement to terrorism and sexual exploitation of children.

Authority French police say Durov is an accomplice The reason for these offenses is that he has refused to moderate the content of the platform. The billionaire may face criminal charges in France.

In a statement released on Sunday evening, Telegram said it “complies with EU laws, including the Digital Services Act” and that The moderation of its content is “within standards The industry is constantly improving.”

“Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has nothing to hide and travels frequently across Europe. It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner is responsible for the abuse that occurs on that platform. We look forward to a quick resolution of this situation,” the statement said.

Janis Saarts, director of NATO’s Centre of Excellence in Strategic Communication, told the LETA news agency that, although it is difficult to know at this point why French authorities decided to detain Durov, It is undeniable that Telegram has been used for all kinds of illegal activities.

For his part, Durov’s lawyer, Dmitry Agranovsky, said the arrest was “absolutely ridiculous” and that a Attack on freedom of expression.

Durov was born in 1984 in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) He lives in Dubai, where Telegram is also headquartered. He holds a French passport in addition to Russian and UAE citizenship.

As a child he attended the St. Petersburg Academic Gymnasium, a prestigious school Emphasis on maths and scienceand later studied Applied Mathematics and Computer Science at Saint Petersburg State University.

There his first great idea would germinate: a student forum called spbgu.ruwhich allowed for discussion of academic matters and the sharing of information.

While refusing to give interviews, Durov said earlier this year that Telegram should remain A “neutral platform” and not “an actor in geopolitics.”

“Durov has earned a reputation for austerity and discipline that goes beyond his professional accomplishments,” says former MIT professor Douglas C. Youns in a book about the Telegram founder. Russian Jesus: A symbol of digital freedom in the age of surveillance (“The Russian Jesus: A symbol of digital freedom in the age of surveillance”).

“He is known for his Minimalist lifestyleOne who abstains from alcohol, caffeine, and processed foods, and follows a rigorous personalized regimen focused on mental clarity and physical health,” he adds.

According to Forbes, Durov, who has five children with two ex-girlfriends, recently claimed he had donated sperm that allowed him to father 100 children.

Telegram has 900 million monthly active users and is ranked as one of the top social media platforms Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok, and WeChat.

The application was Pioneer in the use of encryption protocols in messaging. A feature that its rivals would later copy.

The idea for an encrypted messaging app came about when Durov encountered Pressure from Russian authorities to hand over data personal data of Ukrainian users of the social network Vkontakte — the Russian version of Facebook — and a request to shut down groups critical of Moscow in that country.

Encryption means Messages can only be read on the device that sends them And on the device that receives them.

He was forced to leave his country in 2014 and leave behind control of VK after refusing to provide data requested by Russian authorities.

From then on, his efforts will be focused on developing Telegram, which Founded in 2013 with his brother Nikolai,

In this network, apart from one-to-one communication, users can also Up to 200,000 people can join groups and create “channels” Create a broadcast that others can follow and leave comments on.

In the United Kingdom, for example, the app came under scrutiny for hosting far-right channels that were instrumental in organising violent riots in English cities earlier this month.

Telegram removed some groups, but overall Its system for controlling extremist and illegal content is much weaker than others Cyber ​​security experts say social media and messaging app companies.

The arrest sparked controversy: while many affirm Durov as a staunch defender of freedom of expression and highlight his commitment to privacy, others He highlighted his close ties with the Kremlin.

Expert Dmytro Zolotukhin said in statements reported by BBC Monitoring that, unlike many other celebrities who renounced Russian citizenship and were later persecuted by the Kremlin, Durov enjoys the protection of the Russian government.

“The Foreign Ministry, the Duma (parliament) and deputies are defending Durov, as well as “Russian Direct Investment Fund, which is the official co-owner of Telegram”Said.

Interestingly, several Russian officials condemned the businessman’s arrest, saying it shows the West has double standards when it comes to freedom of expression and democracy.

Another man defending him was former US intelligence agent Edward Snowden, who leaked classified documents that revealed the existence of global surveillance programmes and who has been living in exile in Russia since 2013.

In his X account, Snowden said Durov’s arrest was “an assault on the basic human rights of expression and association.”

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