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MESSAGING app Telegram has slammed an “absurd claim” against its founder and CEO, saying he has “nothing to hide” after being arrested.
Police detained Pavel Durov on the outskirts of Paris as he stepped off his private jet at 8pm local time on Saturday.
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The Telegram founder, 39, had a search warrant above his head issued by French officials for offences allegedly related to the app.
The Franco-Russian tech mogul had arrived straight from Azerbaijan, according to a wanted persons file on him.
The warrant for Durov was activated the moment he stepped foot on French soil on Saturday.
The probe is purportedly concerned insufficient moderation, with Durov being accused of neglecting to take action to prevent unlawful use of Telegram.
Authorities claim that Telegram’s lack of moderation, collaboration with law enforcement, and the instruments it provides (disposable numbers, and cryptocurrency) make it an accomplice in drug trafficking, paedophilia, and fraud.
In a statement, the company said: “Telegram abides by EU laws, including the Digital Services Act — its moderation is within industry standards.
“Pavel Durov has nothing to hide and travels frequently in Europe.
“It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner are responsible for abuse of that platform.
“We’re awaiting a prompt resolution of this situation. Telegram is with you all.”
Following his arrest, the self exiled founder and CEO of Telegram could now face 20 years in jail for his “failure to stop terrorism” on the app if he’s convicted in court.
TF1 reported that the billionaire could be charged with a multitude of offences, including terrorism, narcotics, complicity, fraud, money laundering, receiving stolen goods, and pedocriminal content.
It comes due to of apparent failures to employ enough moderators to stop terrorism , drug trafficking and money laundering to fester online.
A source close to the case said: “He allowed an incalculable number of offences and crimes to be committed, for which he did nothing to moderate or cooperate.”
The tech mogul had been travelling to the Emirates, former Soviet Union countries, and South America as he is a persona non grata in France.
He very rarely travelled in Europe and avoided places where Telegram is being monitored, TF1 reports.
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What is Telegram?
TELEGRAM is a cloud-based instant messaging app that was launched in 2013 by Pavel Durov and his brother Nikolai Durov.
Telegram became widely known for its strong emphasis on privacy and security, offering end-to-end encrypted messaging, channels for broadcasting to large audiences, and features including self-destructing messages.
Telegram’s commitment to privacy has made it popular with users around the world, but it has also attracted criticism from governments, which claim that the app is used by criminals and terrorists to communicate without detection.
