Pavel Durov, the Creator of Telegram, Faces Arrest: Here’s What You Need to Know

Nitin Konde, Apoorva Bajj

Aug 28, 2024 — 3 min read

Pavel Durov, the Creator of Telegram, Faces Arrest: Here’s What You Need to Know

According to reports, Telegram's founder and CEO, Pavel Durov, was arrested in France on August 24, 2024, due to an inquiry into the messaging app's lack of moderators. Russian officials at the French embassy have called for Pavel Durov's consular access and the protection of his rights. According to the embassy, France has thus far "avoided engagement" with Pavel Durov's position.

There was a lack of moderators on Telegram and Durov allegedly allowed a wide range of crimes to flourish because of this, according to media reports. He was arrested as part of a preliminary police inquiry. It is "absurd" to blame a platform or its owner for abuse, according to a post on X by Telegram's official account.

The arrest of Durov was not a "political decision," according to French President Emmanuel Macron's Monday post on X, which also addressed the matter. "France is a country that is 'deeply committed to freedom of expression and communication,'" he said, "but in a state that is governed by the rule of law,' freedoms are protected within legal frameworks, both online and off, to safeguard citizens and their basic rights."

What Exactly Is Telegram?

Similar to other messaging apps like WhatsApp, Signal, and iMessage, Telegram's main function is to facilitate communication between users. For a large portion of its user base, it serves solely as a platform for friendly conversation.

On the other hand, compared to its competitors, this app has more social networking options. Like Telegram's broadcast "channels" that allow users to "follow" particular accounts, group chats can be as big as the user wants them to be.

More like a Facebook group or an old-school online forum than an instant messaging service, those channels also allow followers to write comments under posts and have back-and-forth conversations with each other.

Why Indian Government is Considering Banning Telegram?

There are more than 5 million registered users of the Telegram messaging software in India, and it could be banned. The company was the subject of an extortion and gambling probe that was initiated by the Centre.

The investigation's results will determine the messaging app's fate in India. The company's P2P communications are the subject of an investigation by the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, according to a report by the prominent media outlet.

An official has stated that the government is looking into Telegram because of allegations that it is used for illegal purposes including gambling and extortion. The results of the investigation could lead to the prohibition of the messaging service.

Role' of Telegram in UGC-NEET paper leak

In the past, Telegram has been criticized for helping to distribute false information and facilitate criminal activity. Leaks of the medical entrance exam paper from the recent UGC-NEET controversy have further heightened attention. There were reports that the paper was going for prices ranging from INR 5,000 to INR 10,000 on the marketplace.

Still, Telegram insists it fully complies with Indian law, no matter how many obstacles it faces. The corporation has appointed a chief compliance officer and a nodal officer, and compliance reports are published monthly. But because Telegram doesn't have an office in India, the government has said it has trouble engaging with the company.

Telegram and other social media companies were served letters by the IT ministry in October 2023, requesting that they delete child sexual abuse material (CSAM) from their sites.