Telegram founder Pavel Durov arrested in France, law enforcement accuses him of naming cryptocurrency TON, urgent response

Author | Wu Blockchain blockchain

According to France’s INFO TF1/LCI, Pavel Durov, founder and CEO of encrypted messaging app Telegram, was arrested on the tarmac of Le Bourget airport at around 8pm on Saturday as he stepped off a private plane. The 39-year-old French-Russian citizen was accompanied by his bodyguards and a woman.

The arrest was carried out by the Gendarmerie des Transports Aéronautiques (GTA). Pavel Durov is listed in the French FPR (search file) and came directly from Azerbaijan. He is facing a French search warrant, issued by the OFMIN (command center) of the French Directorate General of the National Judicial Police on the basis of a preliminary investigation. Why is he being 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 to drug trafficking, child pornography and fraud.

This search warrant is only valid if 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’s caught!” a source close to the investigation told TF1/LCI. Knowing that he was not welcome in France, Pavel Durov traveled between the UAE, the countries of the former Soviet Union and South America… He rarely went to Europe, especially not to the countries that monitor Telegram. And now? Detectives from ONAF (the national anti-fraud agency under customs) informed him and placed him in custody. He should be handed over to the investigating judge on Saturday evening and could be formally charged on Sunday on several charges: terrorism, drugs, conspiracy, fraud, money laundering, harbouring, child pornography… “Pavel Durov will be in pre-trial detention, that’s for sure,” a detective told TF1/LCI. “Numerous crimes and violations have been committed on his platform and he has taken no steps to investigate or cooperate,” a source close to the matter analyzed.

In fact, his temporary detention after his indictment was almost inevitable. Pavel Durov is a billionaire with considerable means to escape, and his promise to appear in court was hardly convincing to the judge.

A crackdown with international impact For researchers, this arrest with international impact has multiple goals. First, it can deter and stop criminals who are still communicating freely on Telegram. Second, they hope that this move will put pressure on European countries to strengthen cooperation and jointly put pressure on the problem of terrorism on secure communication applications.

Telegram is actually a hotbed for criminal content. The platform is currently in the news for illegally broadcasting 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 porn criminals also use Telegram to communicate and share content. “Over the years, it has become the number one platform for organized crime,” according to one researcher.

In Europe, especially in Germany, Telegram is under investigation for violating 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 led to legal troubles. Germany has threatened to fine Telegram millions of euros for failing to comply with local content removal and reporting mechanisms.

https://www.tf1info.fr/justice-faits-divers/info-tf1-lci-le-fondateur-et-pdg-de-la-messagerie-cryptee-telegram-interpelle-en-france-2316072.html

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 address 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 key features of Telegram is its end-to-end encryption, which makes users’ messages secure during transmission. In addition, Telegram also allows for the creation of large group chats, channels, and cloud-based storage and sending.

As of 2024, Telegram has over 800 million monthly active users worldwide. Telegram users are spread all over the world, but users are concentrated in the following regions:

Russia and CIS countries: As the birthplace 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 seen as a tool for free communication.

Middle East: Telegram also has a large user base in Middle Eastern countries like Iran and Turkey. In these regions, Telegram’s encryption feature is very popular due to concerns about government censorship and surveillance. 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 a major 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. There, it is widely used as a tool for transmitting and organizing information.

Telegram’s success is partly due to its commitment to privacy and security, but also to its continuous introduction of new features (such as voice chat, video calling, paid subscriptions, etc.), which has allowed 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 deliver fast and scalable blockchain technology through its native cryptocurrency Gram, which supports a variety of decentralized applications (dApps) and smart contracts. To develop TON, Telegram conducted two rounds of token presales from private investors, raising a total of approximately $1.7 billion. However, the TON project ran into major legal hurdles in 2019. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed a lawsuit accusing Telegram of illegally financing an unregistered securities offering, arguing that the Gram token is in fact a security and that Telegram had failed to register in accordance with regulations. Following 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 is not extinct and has been developing rapidly since 2023. Its current market cap is 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 at first glance, 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 flourishing TON ecosystem remains to be seen.

TON released a statement saying: Following the recent news regarding Telegram founder Pavel Durov, we want to assure everyone that the TON community remains strong and fully operational. As a community committed to free speech and decentralization, we strongly support Pavel during this challenging time. Pavel has always been a staunch advocate of these values, and we believe 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 remain calm, unite, and keep building as we navigate this situation together. Thank you for your continued support.