Telegram app founder Pavel Durov arrested in France

Durov accused of failing to ban Telegram users engaged in criminal and terrorist activities online

Paris (France) – Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of the Telegram app, was arrested at Bourget airport. Police have indicated that the arrest was linked to Telegram’s alleged failure to curb criminal activities on the platform. As of now, Telegram has not commented on the situation. The French Ministry of Interior has not commented on the arrest. Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs is questioning whether Western NGOs will seek Pavel Durov’s release. Durov, who is originally from Russia, holds citizenship in Russia, France, and other countries.

Pavel had avoided action against the Islamic State

The Islamic State utilised Telegram to coordinate with Jihadi terrorists in Paris back in 2015. In response to queries about this, Durov stated, ‘I consider the right to privacy to be more important than the fear of threats such as terrorism.’

Editorial Perspective

The French Government’s commendable action ! While derogatory content about Hindu Dharma and India is posted frequently on platforms such as X and Facebook, these platforms often fail to act in the name of freedom of expression. India should similarly pursue legal action against the owners of these platforms and enforce penalties.