According to multiple reports, Telegram CEO Pavel Durov was arrested on several charges.
New Delhi:
Encrypted messaging app Telegram said on Monday that CEO Pavel Durov – who was arrested in France – has nothing to hide and “it is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner is responsible for the abuse of that platform.”
In its initial response after Russian-born Durov was arrested at Le Bourget airport outside Paris after landing on a private jet for allegedly failing to prevent criminal activity on Telegram, the company said it is adhering to EU laws, including the ‘Digital Services Act’. ‘.
“Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has nothing to hide and regularly travels through Europe. Nearly a billion users worldwide use Telegram as a means of communication and as a source of essential information. We are waiting for a quick resolution to this situation,” said the platform, which has more than 900 million active users.
“Telegram complies with EU laws, including the Digital Services Act – its moderation is within industry standards and continuously improved,” the company added.
The platform has been a crucial source of information for the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia. In a rare interview with American political commentator Tucker Carlson in April, Durov said Telegram’s goal is to be a “neutral” platform and resist government requests for moderation.
If convicted, Durov faces up to 20 years in prison. According to multiple reports, he was arrested on several charges related to the alleged spread of criminal activity on Telegram, which has approximately 900 million active users.
The billionaire lives in Dubai, where Telegram is based, and has dual citizenship of France and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). An entrepreneur with at least $15.5 billion in his coffers, he left Russia in 2014 after refusing to comply with government demands to ban opposition communities on his social media platform VKontakte.
The Russian embassy in France is taking “immediate steps” to clarify the situation. Telegram offers end-to-end encrypted messaging, and users can also set up “channels” to quickly distribute information to followers.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
