Telegram founder Pavel Durov arrested in France on criminal charges. As per reports, Telegram had become a focus of extremist activity online.

French police arrested Pavel Durov, the billionaire founder and CEO of Telegram, at Le Bourget airport near Paris on Saturday. Durov was detained on a warrant related to alleged criminal activities associated with his popular messaging app, according to reports from the AFP news agency.

Durov was traveling on his private jet from Azerbaijan when he was apprehended around 8 pm local time (1800 GMT), as reported by agencies. His detention was extended by an investigating magistrate on Sunday evening.

Under French law, the initial detention period for questioning is limited to 96 hours. However, this period can be extended if approved by a judge.

The investigation into Durov focuses on allegations that he failed to take adequate measures to prevent the use of Telegram for criminal purposes. The French agency OFMIN, which works to prevent violence against minors, issued the arrest warrant. The investigation covers a range of alleged offences, including fraud, drug trafficking, cyberbullying, organized crime, and the promotion of terrorism.

One of the investigators expressed surprise that Durov had come to Paris despite being aware of the warrant. The investigator emphasized that authorities are determined to hold Telegram accountable.

Telegram, founded by Durov and his brother Nikolai in 2013, is one of the world’s leading social media platforms, alongside giants like Facebook, YouTube, and WhatsApp. The app currently aims to reach one billion active users by next year.

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Pavel Durov, who was born in Russia and reportedly holds French citizenship, left Russia in 2014 after refusing to comply with government demands to shut down opposition communities on his earlier social media platform, VK. Telegram has since become a major source of unfiltered information, especially following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.