The founder and CEO of one of the world"s most popular messaging apps has reportedly been arrested in France. Pavel Durov, the creator and head of Telegram, was reportedly leaving his private jet at France"s Bourget airport outside Paris when the arrest took place.
Reuters reports that, according to the French TV networks TF1 and BFM, citing unnamed sources, Durov was arrested based on a French police warrant. The story claims that the French law enforcement authorities were investigating claims that there was a lack of moderators on Telegram.
As a result, the police claimed this would allow un-moderated criminal activity to go through the messaging service, which they believe could make Durov an accomplice to these activities.
So far Telegram has yet to make a comment on the reported arrest of the Russia-born Durov. Reuters also says that neither the French Interior Ministry nor the French police have made any comments on this story. However, the Russian foreign ministry did offer a statement, saying it was working with its Paris embassy to get more info on this matter. It also called for Western organizations to demand Durov"s release.
Telegram first launched in 2013 via Durov, who left his native Russia after founding the VK social network and then selling his part of the business to the government. Since launching Telegram 11 years ago, the messaging app, which includes end-to-end encryption features for chat, voice, and video calls, has become more and more popular. In July, Telegram announced that it had hit 950 million users. The company has a goal of reaching the 1 billion user milestone sometime in 2024.
The popularity of Telegram has also reportedly made Durov a very rich person. Forbes reports that in 2021, his net worth reached a peak of $17.2 billion. At the moment, it estimates his net worth to be a bit lower, but still huge at $15.5 billion.