Telegram CEO’s detention extended after arrest in France

On Saturday, the co-founder and CEO of Telegram, Pavel Durov, was arrested at Le Bourget airport outside of Paris, France. French officials working on behalf of the country’s Office Mineurs (OFMIN, focused on the protection of minors) took Durov into custody based on accusations that Durov fails to curb illegal activity on Telegram, including the exploitation of children, fraud, drug trafficking, cyberbullying, organized crime, and promotion of terrorism.

Now, anonymous sources speaking with Agence France-Presse (via Yahoo News) say that France has apparently extended Durov’s detention beyond the initially expected 24 hours. France can do this several times — up to 96 hours of detention — without formally charging Durov. Eventually, France will either need to charge Durov or set him free when those 96 hours expire.

The warrant OFMIN issued for Durov’s arrest has been outstanding for some time now. It is unclear why Durov would have chosen to come to France so brazenly, knowing that he would likely be arrested. Theories online abound, from Russian President Vladimir Putin trying to apprehend him (and Durov choosing arrest in France to escape) to Durov simply wanting to stir the pot. The latter theory is not all that strange, considering Durov’s history of doing just that.

Telegram is notorious for its end-to-end encrypted (E2EE) chats and server-encrypted public “Channels.” The app’s built-in anonymity makes it a boon for journalists and people who live under authoritarian governments. However, that same anonymity makes Telegram the perfect place for crime, anything from drug sales to terrorism planning to the proliferation of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

Durov argues that for Telegram to remain an integral tool for the people using it for well-meaning causes, he needs to take a “hands-off” approach. France’s OFMIN, though, disagrees and thinks Durov should be held responsible for the criminal activity on the platform or, at the very least, be required to do more to moderate communications on his app.

Regardless, France has about 48 more hours to either charge Durov or let him go. Durov — who was born in Russia — has French citizenship, including a French passport. If officials do set him free, he’d be able to stay and even live in the country indefinitely. Currently, Durov lives in Dubai, where Telegram is based.