Telegram’s Durov
Telegram CEO Pavel Durov recently shared details about his arrest in Paris in a social media post. He explained that last month, he was interviewed by the police for four days upon arriving in the city. Authorities claimed that Durov could be held personally responsible for the illegal use of Telegram by others, as French officials had not received responses from the platform. This arrest, widely covered by international media, raised concerns about France's commitment to free speech, with even President Macron facing criticism for what was seen as a potential crackdown on democratic rights.
Durov clarified that the French authorities could have contacted him through several publicly available channels but instead chose to arrest him directly. He also elaborated on Telegram’s approach to government requests regarding privacy and security. “Sometimes we can’t agree with a country’s regulator on the right balance between privacy and security. In those cases, we are ready to leave that country. We've done it many times. When Russia demanded we hand over ‘encryption keys’ to enable surveillance, we refused — and Telegram got banned in Russia. When Iran demanded we block channels of peaceful protesters, we refused — and Telegram got banned in Iran. We are prepared to leave markets that aren’t compatible with our principles because we are not doing this for money. We are driven by the intention to bring good and defend the basic rights of people, particularly in places where these rights are violated.”
Durov denied allegations that Telegram is used to facilitate illegal activities, emphasizing that they remove millions of harmful posts and channels daily and publish regular transparency reports. He also acknowledged that Telegram’s sudden surge in users—reaching 950 million—has brought challenges, making it easier for criminals to exploit the platform. To address this, Durov committed to enhancing Telegram’s security and safety policies, promising to share updates on the company’s progress soon.
