Telegram CEO Pavel Durov arrested at French airport

Telegram CEO Pavel Durov Arrested in France Under Suspicious Circumstances

In a surprising turn of events, Telegram's chief executive, Pavel Durov, has been arrested by French police at Le Bourget Airport, just north of Paris. The arrest occurred after Durov's private jet touched down, according to reports from French media.

Officials have stated that the 39-year-old tech entrepreneur was detained under a warrant linked to alleged offences involving the widely used messaging app, Telegram. The nature of these offences remains unclear, sparking widespread speculation.

Russia's embassy in France has swiftly intervened, with TASS, the state news agency, reporting that "immediate steps" are being taken to clarify the situation. French television network TF1 confirmed that Durov had been traveling on his private jet when the incident took place.

Telegram, a messaging app particularly popular in Russia, Ukraine, and other former Soviet states, has had a contentious history with Russian authorities. The app was banned in Russia in 2018 after Durov refused to provide user data to the government. However, the ban was lifted in 2021, allowing Telegram to continue its rapid growth. Today, it ranks among the top social media platforms globally, alongside giants like Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram.

Durov, who founded Telegram in 2013, has a history of standing up to government pressure. He left Russia in 2014 after refusing to shut down opposition communities on his earlier platform, VKontakte, which he later sold. His latest legal troubles raise new questions about the ongoing tensions between technology platforms and governmental authorities.