Telegram CEO Pavel Durov arrested in France

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As messaging app Telegram faced increased scrutiny for its use by far-right extremists and terrorist groups, Telegram CEO Pavel Durov was arrested over the past weekend in France. A warrant for his arrest was issued concerning his messaging app's lack of moderation.

Durov was detained Saturday at Paris's Bourget Airport on charges including allegations that Telegram was complicit in aiding money launderers, drug traffickers, fraudsters, and those spreading child sexual exploitation content. French prosecutor Laure Beccuau said in a statement on Monday that Durov is also accused of refusing to communicate "information or documents" related to the investigation.

According to French prosecutors, Durov had been placed under formal investigation on Wednesday and wouldn't be allowed to leave France. It doesn't imply guilt in France's legal system, but it is the next stage in the official investigation into the allegations.

His arrest has sparked debates about freedom of speech and who should be held liable for illicit content made online. Russian lawmaker Maria Butina—who was convicted in the US over spying charges and deported to Russia in 2019—called the CEO a "political prisoner." However, French President Emmanuel Macron refutes this statement, saying Durov's arrest was "in no way a political decision." His arrest is "part of an ongoing judicial investigation."

Paris prosecutor's office said on Monday that his arrest was part of a broad investigation into various criminal activities on Telegram dating back to July 8. There are a total of 12 separate charges. But Telegram counters that it abides by EU law and Durov has "nothing to hide."

Telegram is an encrypted messaging service Durov and his brother Nikolai launched in 2013. According to a post from Durov, it now has over 950 million users, making it one of the most-used messaging platforms in the world.

It's been vital for its users given you can do everything from chats to sending photos and documents to disseminating government messages. Since it's encrypted, law enforcement and Telegram itself have minimal oversight over what users share.

In countries where freedom of speech is curtailed, it's become an essential tool. In Ukraine, it has helped share with its users news about the war and warnings about air raids. On the flip side, these protections were also being taken advantage of by criminals and terrorists.

Telegram allows as many as 200,000 users to join an individual chat group, making it easy to reach a larger audience and potentially disseminate false claims.

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