Telegram founder Pavel Durov arrested

Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of the popular encrypted messaging app Telegram, was arrested at Le Bourget Airport in Paris on Saturday evening.

According to the French news portal TF1/LCI, the 39-year-old businessman was arrested as he disembarked from his private jet. Durov was accompanied by his bodyguard and a woman reported to be his girlfriend.

The report also stated that Durov had arrived in Paris from Azerbaijan and was the subject of an arrest warrant.

French authorities allege that the platform founded by Durov is used for drug trafficking, crimes against children, and fraud, and that he has become an "accomplice" to these crimes.

The French government had previously requested that all ministries stop using WhatsApp, Telegram, and Signal in favor of French messaging applications.

CLAIMS HE DOES NOT SHARE MESSAGES WITH GOVERNMENTS

Telegram, which ensures privacy through its encrypted communication service between users, is preferred for its ease of use and ability to facilitate communication within groups. However, for the same reasons, it allows criminal organizations and other groups to communicate without attracting the attention of law enforcement.

Telegram, which has more than half a billion registered users, maintains that, unlike other applications, it never shares messages with governments. Developed in Moscow in 2013 by Russian billionaire brothers Nikolai and Pavel Durov, the application is considered a refuge for extremist political movements that cannot find a platform on other social media sites like Twitter and Facebook.

The program is also alleged to be used by drug and arms traffickers, militants from extremist organizations such as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), and far-right groups.

The number of Telegram users exceeded half a billion after the new user agreement of another popular messaging app, WhatsApp, raised questions regarding privacy.

News Source: AA