Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of Telegram, has been arrested by authorities in France in connection with a search warrant alleging violations against the encrypted messaging platform.
French media, including Le Monde, reported that Durov was arrested when he arrived from Azerbaijan in his private jet at Le Bourget airport, north of Paris. The Le Monde report, citing sources familiar with the case, confirmed Durov’s arrest.
Bloomberg too marked a telegram after by Maria Zakharova, a spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, who confirmed the arrest, further corroborating the story of the event.
Telegram CEO under investigation by French authorities
French authorities have launched a preliminary investigation into popular messaging platform Telegram. L’Office Mineurs (OFMIN), the agency responsible for monitoring crimes against minors, has issued a search warrant.
AFP claims the investigation covers a spectrum of alleged crimes, including frauddrug trafficking, cyberbullying and organized crime activities facilitated by the site. The investigation comes amid concerns about Telegram’s inadequate content control methods.
Office of Financial Market Integrity (OFMIN) is leading the investigation against Durov. Durov is reportedly scheduled to appear in court on August 25. Given the seriousness of the charges, the charges against him could result in a prison sentence of up to 20 years.
The impact on TON
Third-party blockchain system TON, integrated with Telegram, goes on to function as usual despite Durov’s legal concerns. A recent comment on TON’s official X account confirmed the stability of the protocol and underlined the encouraging response of the community under the current circumstances. Telegram has not yet reported on the founder’s detention.
Statement from the TON Community
Following the recent news regarding Telegram founder Pavel Durov, we want to assure everyone that the TON community remains strong and fully operational.
As a community committed to freedom of expression and decentralization, we stand…
— TON 💎 (@ton_blockchain) August 24, 2024
The platform added: “As a community committed to free speech and decentralization, we stand firmly with Pavel during this challenging time. Pavel is a dedicated advocate for these values and we believe his efforts to promote an open and decentralized internet will continue to inspire millions of people.”
The Telegram-linked TON token saw a sharp drop of up to 17% following reports of Durov’s arrest in France. From the last updateTON is trading just above $5.72, down 15% in just a few hours.
Community response to Telegram CEO arrest
On August 24, Tesla CEO and X Platform owner Elon Musk voiced his support for Durov by posting an earlier interview between Durov and independent journalist Tucker Carlson on his social media, accompanied by the hashtag #FreePavel.
#FreePavel
photo.twitter.com/B7AcJWswMs— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 25, 2024
In a recent video statement, Durov praised Musk’s acquisition of Twitter, describing it as a useful step for technological progress and the advancement of freedom of expression.
Ethereum Co-Founder Vitalik Buterin answered an X-post by American entrepreneur and investor Balaji Srinivasan, who addresses the issue further. While Buterin has openly criticized Telegram’s encryption policies in the past, he expressed serious concerns about the latest allegations against the site.
He underlined possible future implications for software and communication freedom in Europe, defining the first elements as “very bad and worrying.” As the story started to fly on social media, with Telegram trending on platform X, where several prominent people gave their analysis.
Among them Robert Kennedy Jr., the American politician who suspended his presidential campaign in August 2024, emphasized that Durov’s arrest underscored the critical importance of protecting platforms that promote freedom of expression and privacy.
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