Original title: Breaking News: Telegram founder Pavel Durov arrested in France, law enforcement agencies accuse him of mentioning cryptocurrency TON, urgent response
Original author: Wu Blockchain blockchain
According to French INFO TF1/LCI, Pavel Durov, founder and CEO of the encrypted messaging app Telegram, was arrested on Saturday at around 8pm on the tarmac at Le Bourget Airport as he stepped off a private plane. The 39-year-old French-Russian national was accompanied by his bodyguards and a woman.
The arrest was carried out by the Gendarmerie des Transports Aéronautiques (GTA). Pavel Durov is on the French FPR (wanted persons file) and he arrived directly from Azerbaijan. He has a French search warrant hanging over his head, issued by the OFMIN (command center) of the French National Judicial Police General Directorate based on a preliminary investigation. Why is he threatened with a search warrant? The judiciary believes that Telegram's lack of content moderation, insufficient cooperation with law enforcement and the tools it provides (such as disposable numbers, cryptocurrencies) make him an accomplice in drug trafficking, child pornography crimes and fraud.
This search warrant is valid only when Pavel Durov is on French soil. "He made a big mistake tonight. We don't know why... Was this flight just a stopover? In any case, he was caught!" a source close to the investigation revealed to TF1/LCI. Knowing that he was not welcome in France, Pavel Durov used to travel between the UAE, the countries of the former Soviet Union and South America... He rarely went to Europe, especially avoiding those countries that monitor Telegram. And now? Investigators from ONAF (the National Anti-Fraud Office under the Customs Department) informed and placed him in custody. He should be handed over to the examining magistrate on Saturday evening and could be formally indicted on Sunday on multiple charges: terrorism, drugs, conspiracy, fraud, money laundering, harboring, child pornography... "Pavel Durov will end up in provisional detention, that's for sure," commented an investigator to TF1/LCI. "On his platform, countless crimes and violations were committed, and he did not take any steps to review or cooperate," analyzed a source close to the case.
In fact, his temporary detention after being indicted was almost inevitable. Pavel Durov is a billionaire with considerable resources to escape, and his promise to appear in court was hardly convincing to the judge.
A crackdown with international impact For investigators, this arrest with international impact has multiple goals. First, it can deter and stop criminals who still communicate freely on Telegram. Second, they hope to put pressure on European countries through this move to strengthen cooperation and jointly exert pressure on the problem of terrorism on secure communication applications.
In fact, Telegram is a hotbed for criminal content. Currently, the platform is in the news for the illegal broadcast of French Ligue 1 matches. But many accounts on this encrypted communication platform are used by organized criminal gangs. In addition to terrorism, the most dangerous child pornography criminals also use Telegram to communicate and share content. "Over the years, it has become the number one platform for organized crime," commented an investigator. In Europe, especially in Germany, Telegram is being investigated for violations of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) regarding the processing of user data and privacy protection. In addition, Telegram's poor response to illegal content (such as hate speech, fake news, etc.) has also raised legal issues. Germany has threatened to impose a fine of millions of euros on Telegram because the platform failed to comply with the requirements of local content removal and reporting mechanisms.
Telegram is an encrypted instant messaging app launched in 2013 by Russian brothers Pavel Durov and Nikolai Durov. Pavel Durov was one of the founders of the Russian social network VK in the early days, but left VK due to conflicts with the Russian government and devoted his energy to creating Telegram. The original intention of Telegram was to provide a more private and secure communication platform to deal with privacy violations by governments and other entities.
Telegram was launched on the iOS platform in August 2013, and the Android version was released in October of the same year. The application quickly gained widespread attention for its fast, simple and secure features. One of the important features of Telegram is its end-to-end encryption, which makes users' messages safe during transmission. In addition, Telegram also allows the creation of large group chats, channels, and cloud-based storage and transmission.
As of 2024, Telegram has more than 800 million monthly active users worldwide. Telegram users are distributed all over the world, but users are concentrated in the following regions:
Russia and CIS countries: As the hometown of the founder, Russia and CIS countries (including Ukraine, Belarus, etc.) have always been one of the important markets for Telegram. Especially in Russia, due to the government's strict control over the Internet and information, Telegram is regarded as a tool for free communication.
Middle East: Telegram also has a large number of users in Middle Eastern countries such as Iran and Turkey. In these regions, Telegram's encryption function is very popular due to concerns about government censorship and control. Iran was once one of Telegram's largest single markets.
India and Southeast Asia: India, as one of the countries with the largest number of Internet users in the world, is also an important source of growth for Telegram users. Some countries in Southeast Asia (such as Indonesia, Malaysia, etc.) also have a large number of users.
Europe: Western European countries (such as Germany, France) and Eastern European countries (such as Ukraine) have a wide Telegram user base. Many users use Telegram to escape data collection and privacy violations on traditional social media platforms.
South America: Telegram has also gained a significant user base in South American countries such as Brazil and Argentina, especially among political activists and journalists, where it is widely used as a tool for information transmission and organization.
Telegram's success is partly due to its commitment to privacy and security, as well as the constant introduction of new features (such as voice chat, video calls, paid subscriptions, etc.), which has enabled it to attract a large number of users around the world.
In 2018, Telegram announced plans to develop a blockchain platform called TON, which aims to create a decentralized Internet ecosystem. TON aims to provide fast and scalable blockchain technology through its native cryptocurrency Gram, supporting a variety of decentralized applications (dApps) and smart contracts. To develop TON, Telegram conducted two rounds of token pre-sales from private investors, raising a total of approximately $1.7 billion. However, the TON project encountered major legal obstacles in 2019. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed a lawsuit accusing Telegram of illegal financing through an unregistered securities offering, arguing that the Gram token is actually a security and that Telegram failed to register in accordance with regulations. After a legal battle with the SEC, Telegram announced in May 2020 that it would abandon the TON project. Pavel Durov said in a public statement that Telegram would no longer participate in TON or any development related to it. Telegram also agreed to return most of the funds raised to investors and pay a fine of $18.5 million.
Despite this, TON has not died, and has developed rapidly since 2023. Its current market value ranks among the top ten cryptocurrencies, and a large number of cryptocurrency ecosystems such as small games and wallets are booming. Telegram has also cooperated extensively with TON. Although there is no relationship on the surface, Pavel Durov's strong support for TON is undoubtedly the biggest reason for TON's rapid rise. Whether France's move will have an impact on the booming TON ecosystem remains to be seen. TON issued a statement saying: Following the recent news about Telegram founder Pavel Durov, we want to assure everyone that the TON community is still strong and fully operational. As a community committed to free speech and decentralization, we firmly support Pavel during this challenging period. Pavel has always been a loyal advocate of these values, and we believe that his efforts to promote an open and decentralized Internet will continue to inspire millions of people. The TON community remains focused on our mission, and we will continue to work hard to uphold these principles around the world. We encourage everyone to stay calm, unite, and continue to build as we deal with this situation together. Thank you for your continued support.
