After CEO Pavel Durov's arrest in France, Telegram says it is “absurd” to blame a platform when users abuse it

Pavel Durov, the CEO of Telegram, was reportedly arrested at an airport near Paris on Saturday as part of a preliminary investigation into the app's lax moderation approach and failure to curb criminal activity. Reutersciting French news agencies BFM TV And TF1. Telegram is also reportedly accused of not cooperating with police. On Sunday afternoon, Telegram released a statement on its official news channel and on X, saying that CEO Durov has “nothing to hide” and that it is “absurd to claim that a platform or its owner is responsible for the misuse of that platform.”

“Telegram complies with EU laws, including the Digital Services Act – its moderation is in line with industry standards and is constantly improving,” it said. Durov was taken into custody after arriving at Le Bourget airport on a private jet. Reuters reported. According to the BBCThe current investigation includes the app's failure to combat drug trafficking, depictions of child sexual abuse and fraudulent activities.

Telegram is one of the most popular social media platforms in the world and is widely used, especially in parts of Europe and Asia. Durov said earlier this year that the platform has nearly a billion active monthly users. The app uses end-to-end encryption and supports groups with tens of thousands of members, allowing for the mass sharing of information and uncensored content.

NPR reported that a statement from the Paris prosecutor's office will be published on Monday. “We are waiting for a rapid resolution of this situation,” Telegram's own statement said.

Update, August 25, 2024, 4:48 p.m. ET: This story has been updated with a statement from Telegram.