French authorities announce Telegram CEO's arrest in cybercrime probe

French authorities have detained Telegram CEO Pavel Durov as part of a broad criminal investigation, raising concerns over the future of the popular messaging platform.

Durov was arrested on Saturday at Paris’ Le Bourget airport, with French prosecutors confirming his detention in a press release on Monday.

While Durov has not been formally charged, he is being held for questioning in connection with an investigation “against person unnamed” that can keep him in police custody until Wednesday.

The investigation, which began on July 8, encompasses several serious allegations, including money laundering, illegal export and import of encryption tools, and refusal to cooperate with law enforcement.

The charges also include “complicity” in drug trafficking, involvement in the distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), and other crimes.

French prosecutors have noted that the investigation is being led by “Section J3” cybercrime prosecutors, with collaboration from France’s Centre for the Fight against Cybercrime (C3N) and the Anti-Fraud National Office (ONAF).

Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau stated that Durov’s questioning by investigators is part of this ongoing procedural framework.

Telegram has not responded to multiple requests for comment on the matter, but in a statement on their news channel, they asserted that Durov has “nothing to hide.”

Cannelle Lavite, a French lawyer specialising in free-speech issues, mentioned that Durov’s arrest is not entirely unexpected given the context of several ongoing investigations into Telegram, particularly those involving the protection of minors' rights and cyber harassment.

Lavite highlighted that Durov, a French citizen, was arrested on French soil with an arrest warrant issued by French judges, reflecting the extensive nature of the charges against him.

Durov’s leadership of Telegram has been controversial, particularly due to his reluctance to moderate the platform’s content, which has allowed it to become a space for hate speech, criminal activity, and abuse.

Despite being marketed as a secure communication tool, much of Telegram’s content is open and accessible, and many users do not utilise its end-to-end encryption features.

John Scott-Railton, a senior researcher at Citizen Lab, pointed out that Telegram’s broad functionality gives it significant potential for content moderation, which places Durov at the center of substantial governmental pressure.

Questions have also been raised about the durability and effectiveness of Telegram’s end-to-end encryption when users do choose to enable it.

French President Emmanuel Macron commented on the situation via social media, emphasising that Durov’s arrest was part of an ongoing judicial investigation and was not a political decision.

The news of Durov’s arrest has sparked concerns about the stability of Telegram and the broader implications for social media moderation, government influence, and privacy-preserving technologies like end-to-end encryption.

Lavite noted that the case touches on the delicate balance between the right to encrypted communication and free speech versus the need for content moderation and user protection.

Despite these concerns, many details about the investigation remain unclear, leaving significant “blurry zones” as Lavite described them.

Interestingly, Telegram has seen a surge in downloads following the news of Durov’s arrest, with the app climbing from 18th to 8th place in Apple's US App Store ranking.

Globally, iOS downloads increased by 4 percent, and in France, Telegram became the number one app in the social network category and the third overall in the App Store.