Pavel Durov criticizes his arrest and signals Telegram’s readiness to exit jurisdictions that challenge its commitment to free speech.
The incident sparks debate on government regulation vs. free speech, highlighting rising tensions in tech governance.

In light of Pavel Durov’s recent statement, the founder of Telegram spoke out about his surprise and concerns following his arrest in France, questioning the authorities’ actions. Durov, who has legal representation in France, expressed confusion over why law enforcement was involved and emphasized his regular interactions with the French Consulate in Dubai.

Durov took to his X account, reaffirming his commitment to preventing abuse on Telegram’s platform, which serves over 950 million users. He stressed that Telegram is prepared to leave jurisdictions that conflict with its mission to protect free speech.

I'm still trying to understand what happened in France. But we hear the concerns. I made it my personal goal to prevent abusers of Telegram's platform from interfering with the future of our 950+ million users.

My full post below. https://t.co/cDvRSodjst

— Pavel Durov (@durov) September 5, 2024

The arrest sparked widespread criticism, particularly from the TON Society and industry leaders. French President Emmanuel Macron issued a statement denying that Durov’s arrest was politically motivated and reiterated France’s commitment to free speech, though critics remain unconvinced.

Following the arrest, Rumble CEO Chris Pavlovski left Europe, citing France as increasingly hostile to tech founders prioritizing free speech. Pavlovski condemned France’s actions, warning that the country was no longer a safe environment for companies like Rumble and Telegram. He vowed to use all available means to stop censorship and protect freedom of expression.

Upon The incident has ignited debate over the balance between government regulation and free speech in the tech world. Upon the release of a statement on Durov’s channel, he revealed,

“Last month I was interviewed by police for 4 days after arriving in Paris. I was told I might be personally responsible for other people’s illegal use of Telegram, because the French authorities didn’t receive responses from Telegram.”

Previously, CNF reported that TON Surged as Telegram CEO Pavel Durov is Released from Custody. As of today, Toncoin (TON) is trading at $4.78, having surged 3.06% in the past day after a decrease of 11.92% over the past week. See TON price chart below.