The founder and CEO of Telegram — AKA that app that one uncle of yours gets all his information from — has been arrested and charged over allegedly “allowing criminal activity” on the encrypted messaging app.
The Russian-born billionaire Pavel Durov was arrested in Paris over the weekend, with allegations that the platform he created is being used for illegal activity like money laundering, drug trafficking, and sharing child pornography.
The 39-year-old was taken into custody at the Paris-Le Bourget Airport in France on August 24, and was subjected to four days of questioning.
He was released on Wednesday night (local time) after paying a bail of 5 million euros (AUD $8.2 million). As part of his bail conditions, he must remain in France and visit a police station twice a week.
A French judiciary slammed Durov with a litany of charges relating to the unlawful ways that his app is being used, which Telegram said in a statement is “absurd” to hold the founder responsible for.
So what are the charges faced by Telegram CEO Pavel Durov, and also… what even is Telegram? Let’s dive in.
What is Telegram?
Telegram is a cloud-based social media app with almost a billion users around the globe that was founded in 2013 by Pavel and Nikolai Durov.
It can do pretty much everything most other social media apps do, i.e: messaging, live streams, file sharing, calls, posts and stories, group channels, etc. However, its main attraction is the end-to-end encryption and minimal restrictions on all content shared on the platform.
This makes Telegram highly attractive to groups that need to communicate without the fear of having their messages read by prying eyes, which is a vast array of people. Everyone from journalists and protest groups, to criminals and cooker conspiracists use the app.
Honestly, there is no greater mutual awkwardness than downloading Telegram and finding out someone you know uses it. Like, I know why I’m here, but why are you here???
Telegram’s colourful clientele has resulted in the app having a rather sketchy public image, and has been heavily scrutinised heavily by Western governments for the lack of content moderation.
This dubious reputation is not aided by the fact that the app has failed to provide aid to law enforcement, with Germany and Brazil both having clashes with Telegram for not having a process of reporting illegal content shared to the platform.
Which is linked to why Durov has been arrested following French investigations.
Why is Telegram’s CEO facing charges for its users’ activity?
The charges held against Telegram’s CEO by French investigative judges allege that Pavel Durov has failed to prevent illicit activity on the app.
The charges against him include his complicity in enabling criminal activity such as drug trafficking, illegal transactions, fraud, sharing child sexual abuse material, and the refusal to cooperate with law enforcement.
In defence of these charges, the app released a statement online that asserted it abides by European Union laws, and its content moderation is “within industry standards and constantly improving”.
⚖️ Telegram abides by EU laws, including the Digital Services Act — its moderation is within industry standards and constantly improving.
— Telegram Messenger (@telegram) August 25, 2024
✈️ Telegram's CEO Pavel Durov has nothing to hide and travels frequently in Europe.
😵💫 It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner…
The app also took the stance that it’s CEO should not be held responsible for what content its users share.
“It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner are responsible for abuse of that platform,” read a statement from Telegram posted to the app.
“Almost a billion users globally use Telegram as a means of communication and as a source of vital information.”
It is not likely that the arrest will have any impact on users’ experience in the short term. However as investigations into what role the CEO plays over content moderation continue, who knows what’s in store?
The app has said it will remain dedicated to serving it’s users, stating: “We’re awaiting a prompt resolution of this situation. Telegram is with you all.”
Following the arrest of Durov, warriors of free speech like Elon Musk have decried the arrest of the Telegram CEO as the government trying to enforce censorship.
French President Emmanuel Macron has said that the arrest of the Telegram CEO was part of an ongoing investigation by authorities, and not a politically-charged move.
“France is deeply committed to freedom of expression and communication, to innovation, and to the spirit of entrepreneurship. It will remain so,” he wrote.
[Image: Getty]
The post What’s Going On With Telegram? The CEO’s Arrest In Paris & What It Means For Users, Explained appeared first on PEDESTRIAN.TV .
