Telegram CEO Arrested In France, App React Nothing To Hide

One of the famous social media platforms, Telegram's CEO, Pavel Durov, was arrested at an airport on August 24 night outside Paris, and the app reacted to this situation. This created a lot of buzz among the tech community and Telegram users.

Telegram Part In Russia-Ukraine War:

Telegram is one of the most popular social media platforms in India following Snapchat, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook. However, recently the Telegram app has been used widely in war zones, such as in Russia and Ukraine. 

Many complaints have been raised about people sharing misinformation and war details on Telegram. False rumors have also been spread among Russian and Ukrainian people on Telegram.

Reasons Behind Telegram CEO Arrest:

Despite the attention given to Telegram in war zones, the CEO was not arrested in those areas. However, he was arrested in France due to concerns about security and the use of Telegram. 

The French government views Telegram as a threat to children and seeks increased security measures for the app. According to French media, the Telegram app facilitated kidnappings and was used for various illegal activities.

According to the French government, the Telegram app helped the kidnappers to share information and was used for many illegal activities.  Consequently, France detained Telegram CEO Pavel Durov in the interest of protecting children and he was placed in custody.

Telegram CEO was accused of failing to prevent the misuse of his platform for criminal activities. France's OFMIN, responsible for safeguarding minors from violence, issued an arrest warrant for Durov on charges including organized crime, child sexual exploitation, drug trafficking, fraud, cyberbullying, and the promotion of terrorism.

Telegram Response:

Following the arrest of the CEO,  the company stated in an unnamed statement posted to its official channel on the Telegram app on August 25, that Pavel has "Nothing To Hide".

Further added, "It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner is responsible for abuse of that platform,". Telegram ends the post by suggesting, "We’re awaiting a prompt resolution of this situation. Telegram is with you all"

Telegram CEO:

The CEO of the Telegram messaging app is Pavel Durov. Pavel is Russian, and he launched the app VKontakte, known as VK in 2006. The app garnered a lot of criticism for not following Russian rules. 

Sources say the 39-year-old billionaire had a strained relationship with the Russian government. He was removed as CEO of VK in April 2014 and subsequently left Russia, he had "no plans to go back" and that "the country is incompatible with internet business at the moment."

Telegram, known for its privacy encryption, was launched in 2013 and has experienced steady growth. Telegram supports groups of up to 200,000 members, potentially facilitating the spread of misinformation, conspiracies, and illicit content which is the main reason for its criticism.

In this case, the Telegram CEO's arrest created a lot of buzz with some supporting Pavel while some opposing. Meanwhile, there is no reply regarding the Pavel Durov arrest from the Telegram side yet. Telegram users are eager to know whether there will be any changes in the app policy.