Telegram CEO Pavel Durov arrested in Paris amid investigation into illegal activity on the message app

(LONDON) — Telegram CEO Pavel Durov is being held in custody after being arrested at an airport near Paris over the weekend.

French authorities say his arrest was made in connection with a sprawling investigation into illicit and illegal activity on Telegram, a popular messaging app that promises ultra-secure communications, as well as the option for group chats that can support tens of thousands of people. Telegram says nearly a billion people use the platform worldwide.

The investigation covers everything from alleged drug trafficking, child pornography, money laundering and fraud that took place on or was organized on Telegram. Authorities say Durov is not implicated in those specific crimes; rather, his platform may have run afoul of European law by hosting that content. Durov himself has not yet been charged.

In the European Union, the Digital Services Act is aimed at regulating illegal material posted on social media platforms. It holds that once a company is informed about illegal content on its platform, it becomes liable for that content. In the United States, this content is governed by Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which, by contrast, holds that platforms cannot be held liable for content posted on them.

Previous violations of the Digital Services Act by Big Tech firms have largely come in the form of fines, meaning Durov’s arrest marks a significant escalation by European authorities.

Telegram has responded, saying it “abides by EU laws, including the Digital Services Act,” and that Durov has “nothing to hide.”

The company also says that “it is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner are responsible for the abuse of that platform.”

Durov was born in Russia, and founded Telegram alongside his brother in 2013. The following year he fled the country amid pressure from the Russian government for Telegram to share information on Ukrainian users. Prior to that Durov created VK, a Russian social networking site similar to Facebook.

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