Pavel Durov, the 39-year-old founder and CEO of social media community Telegram, was arrested at Bourget Airport close to Paris on Sunday, following an investigation by French authorities into the platform’s lack of moderation. Officers declare Telegram has allowed fraud, terrorism, drug trafficking, cyberbullying, and arranged crime to flourish on the app. Telegram additionally got here below scrutiny within the UK earlier this month for internet hosting far-right channels that mobilized violent protests in English cities.

Telegram’s encrypted app has almostone billion customers and is common in Russia, Ukraine, and former Soviet republics. After Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Telegram turned “a digital battlefield” utilized by each Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian officers.

On Sunday, the deputy speaker of the state Duma, Vladislav Davankov,claimed that, “The arrest of [Durov] may have political motives and be a way of acquiring the private knowledge of Telegram customers.” The channel is accused of spreading disinformation and can also be used by the Russian army for recruitment and coordination.

Moscow is demanding consular entry to the Russia-born CEO, who’s now a twin citizen of France and Dubai. Additionally weighing in is X CEO Elon Muskwho posted, “POV: It’s 2030 in Europe and also you’re being executed for liking a meme.” Whether or not the backlash helps win Durov his freedom at his upcomingcourtroom look — and whether or not Telegram will retain its customers’ belief — stays an open query.