Pavel Durov, Telegram’s founder and CEO, has been released from French detention after being accused of failing to moderate his app to reduce criminality. The tech billionaire denies the allegations and feels great to be home.
Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of Telegram, has been allowed to fly home to Dubai as French authorities continue their unprecedented case against him.
Pavel Durov is a Russian entrepreneur, best known for founding the social media platform VKontakte (VK) in 2006.
He also co-founded Telegram Messenger in 2013.
Durov's early life was marked by tragedy, as his parents were killed in a car accident when he was just three years old.
He was subsequently raised by his grandmother.
Durov studied at the Moscow State University and later graduated from Stanford University with a degree in computer science.
The tech billionaire was arrested in August after being accused of failing to properly moderate his app to reduce criminality.
Mr Durov denies failing to cooperate with law enforcement over ‘drug trafficking, child sexual abuse content and fraud’ . He stated that the process is ongoing but feels great to be home.
The 40-year-old was initially denied permission to leave France by French judges but has now been granted release due to the suspension of judicial supervision.
The First Tech Leader Arrested for Platform-Related Crime
Telegram is facing unprecedented scrutiny over its handling of criminal activity on its platform.
Launched in 2013 by Pavel Durov, Telegram has grown to become one of the world's most popular messaging apps.
With over 200 million active users, it offers end-to-end encryption for private chats and groups.
Telegram also allows file sharing up to 1.5 GB and supports multiple platforms, including desktop and mobile devices.
Its cloud-based infrastructure ensures that messages are synced across all connected devices.
Mr Durov’s arrest marks a significant turning point in the case, with experts describing it as ‘relentless efforts’ by French authorities.
The app has been criticized for allowing users to advertise drugs and offer cybercrime services.
A Platform Focused on Privacy
Telegram is widely used across Russia, Ukraine, and former Soviet Union states, as well as Iran. With over 950 million users worldwide, the app has positioned itself as a platform focused on user privacy, rather than traditional social media company policies.
However, reports have highlighted the use of Telegram for illicit activities, including child sexual abuse material.
Changes to Telegram’s Moderation Policies
Since Mr Durov’s arrest, Telegram has made significant changes to its moderation policies.
The app has joined the Internet Watch Foundation programme, which aims to remove and report child sexual abuse material online.
It has also announced that it will hand over IP addresses and phone numbers of users who violate its rules to police in response to valid legal requests.
A Shift Towards Transparency
Telegram has published transparency reports about content taken down, a standard industry practice it had previously refused to comply with. These changes demonstrate the app’s commitment to improving its moderation policies and reducing illicit activity on its platform.
Telegram, a popular messaging app, publishes transparency reports to provide insights into government requests for user data.
These reports detail the number of requests received, complied with, and rejected by the company.
According to Telegram's 2020 report, it received over 3 million government requests for user information.
The report also highlights that 98% of these requests were from Russia and Iran.
This transparency is crucial in understanding the impact of government surveillance on online communication.
