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Pavel Durov, CEO of the famous social media and messaging app Telegram breaks his silence for the first time since arrest. French authorities arrested him at Le Bourget Airport near Paris on August 24. On September 5, he shared the story on his Telegram channel. Let’s dive in to understand why French authorities arrested him and what charges they put on him.

Why did the authorities arrest Durov?

French authorities arrested Durov on the charges related to Telegram’s moderation policies. The authorities claim that Telegram has allowed illegal activities. These include drug trafficking and the distribution of harmful content like child pornography. Durov shared in his Telegram post that they questioned him for four days. The authorities informed him that they could hold him responsible for other people’s illegal use of Telegram. French authorities claim they arrested him because Telegram did not respond to their law enforcement requests.

Durov Response to the Accusations

Durov expressed his surprise at the arrest and the charges in his Telegram post. He stated that there are many ways for French authorities to reach him without detaining him. Telegram even has an official representative in the EU who handles all the law enforcement requests. His email is publicly available for anyone. He also revealed that he was a frequent guest at the French consulate in Dubai. Once he helped the French authorities personally by setting up a hotline with Telegram to deal with terrorism threats in France.

Criticism of CEO Accountability

Durove showed concerns about the mis-guided approach of French authorities for charging him for crimes committed by users of his platform. He said “ It is not easy to set a right balance between privacy and security. You have to take into account the laws and technological limitations while keeping the process consistent globally.”

Refusal to Compromise on Privacy

This is not the first Time some nation wants Telegram to break users’ privacy. Durov was vocal about not letting anyone penetrate the privacy of 950M Telegram users. He said that there are times when the balance between privacy and security disturbs and Telegram is ready to leave that country. They have done it before when Russia demanded the encryption key or when Iran wanted to block channels of peaceful protesters. And they are ready to do it again if required.

The Bigger Picture : Free Speech

Despite the arrest, Durov assured users that Telegram remains committed to ensuring privacy while balancing it with security. Telegram is not perfect and the company is working to improve its response to illegal activities.

Durov’s arrest has reignited the ongoing debate around free speech and privacy. Prominent figures like ELon Musk and Edward Snowden have publicly supported Durov, calling his arrest an attack on free speech. As this case unfolds, it will have significant implications not only for Telegram but for the broader tech industry. Can platform owners face liability for users’ activities? The debate will likely continue for years.