Why was Telegram CEO Pavel Durov arrested in France?

Telegram’s CEO, Pavel Durov, was arrested by French police at Le Bourget Airport, just north of Paris, on Saturday.

French media reported that the 39-year-old billionaire was reportedly detained after his private jet landed at the airport.

The investigation, according to local sources, centers on the alleged insufficient moderation on Telegram, which authorities believe has allowed criminal activities to flourish on the platform, as reported by Reuters.

Durov, who was born in Russia, co-founded Telegram with his brother in 2013. He left Russia in 2014 after refusing to comply with government demands to shut down opposition communities on his VKontakte social media platform, which he eventually sold.

Now based in Dubai, where Telegram operates, Durov holds dual citizenship in France and the United Arab Emirates.

Telegram, with nearly one billion users, is especially popular in Russia, Ukraine, and other former Soviet republics. It ranks among the world’s leading social media platforms, alongside Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok, and WeChat.