Pavel Durov of Telegram calls his arrest ‘misguided’

The arrest of Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of Telegram, by French authorities has sparked controversy as he called it “misguided” due to allegations of insufficient moderation on the messaging app. Durov, in his first public statement post-detainment, refuted claims that Telegram is an “anarchic paradise,” labeling them as “absolutely untrue.” The Russian-born billionaire, who also holds French nationality, was taken into custody on 25 August at a Paris airport and charged with suspected complicity in allowing illicit activities on his platform.

Durov criticized the approach of holding him accountable for crimes committed by third parties on the platform, emphasizing that legal action should be taken against the service itself if a country is dissatisfied with an Internet service. He highlighted the importance of not deterring innovators from creating new tools by imposing personal responsibility for potential misuse. While acknowledging that Telegram is not perfect, Durov asserted that the claims of it being an anarchic paradise are false, citing the removal of millions of harmful posts daily.

The messaging app’s allowance of groups with up to 200,000 members has raised concerns about the spread of misinformation and illicit content. Despite removing some extremist groups, Telegram’s moderation system is criticized for being weaker compared to other social media platforms. Durov admitted to the challenges posed by the platform’s rapid user growth and pledged to enhance moderation efforts.

Furthermore, Durov’s refusal for Telegram to join international programs targeting child abuse material online has drawn scrutiny. He, currently residing in Dubai, founded Telegram in 2013, with the app being prominent in Russia, Ukraine, and former Soviet Union states. Despite facing bans in Russia over user data disputes, Telegram remains a major social media platform globally.