Updated: 26 August 2024
Telegram, a social network and messaging app, has called out the European Union (EU) for the arrest of its founder Pavel Durov’s arrest. The Russian billionaire was arrested in Paris on Saturday night. French authorities have extended Durov’s detention.
Telegram network had been alleged to be aiding organized crime, fraud, cyber bullying and promoting terrorism among others. The app stated on X (formerly Twitter) that its CEO travels frequently to Europe and has nothing to hide. It said Telegram follows EU laws, including the Digital Services Act. Telegram highlighted that its content-moderation policies are within the EU’s industry standards.
Russia has supported Durov even though he left the country in the mid-2010s over some disagreement with the Kremlin. He has mainly lived in France and the UAE. The billionaire has French and Emirati citizenship. He spends most of his time in Dubai and traveling.
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Pavel Durov Telegram and Networth
Pavel Durov is the owner and founder of Telegram, a popular messaging app with more nearly a billion global active users. His networth, as per Forbes, is $15.5 billion. The Russian is ranked as the 150th wealthiest person in the world.
Telegram is popular for its end-to-end encrypted messaging. The app is highly preferred by Russian and Ukrainian leaders. While Telegram is applauded for privacy, it has emerged as a go-to app for extremists and those dodging the law.
A recent report stated that Telegram recorded a spike in extremists and conspiracy theorists following the Capitol riots on January 6, 2021. Durov, 39, maintains his principled stand to keep user data private. He refused Washington’s demands to install a surveillance backdoor in Telegram. The technopreneur said he would rather be free than take orders.
