The arrest of the billionaire Telegram founder on French soil was not a political resolution, the nation’s president has stated.
Pavel Durov, who created the encrypted messaging app, was detained after his non-public jet landed at Le Bourget airport on the outskirts of Paris on Saturday.
He has been arrested and detained as a part of a cyber criminality investigation – regarding crimes associated to illicit transactions, youngster sexual abuse photos and fraud – the Paris prosecutor has stated.
In his first public touch upon the matter, President Emmanuel Macron stated his nation “is deeply committed” to freedom of expression however “freedoms are upheld within a legal framework, both on social media and in real life, to protect citizens and respect their fundamental rights”.
He denounced “false information” about Durov’s arrest: “The arrest of the president of Telegram on French soil took place as part of an ongoing judicial investigation. It is in no way a political decision. It is up to the judges to rule on the matter.”
Russian authorities officers have expressed outrage at Durov’s arrest, with some calling it politically pushed and saying it confirmed the West’s double requirements on freedom of speech.
However this outcry has raised eyebrows amongst Kremlin critics – in 2018, Russian authorities tried to dam Telegram themselves, however failed and ultimately withdrew the ban in 2020.
In an announcement posted on its platform, Telegram stated it has nothing to cover, because it abides by EU legal guidelines together with the digital companies act, and its moderation is “within industry standards and constantly improving”.
“It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner are responsible for abuse of that platform,” Telegram’s publish stated.
“Almost a billion users globally use Telegram as a means of communication and as a source of vital information. We’re awaiting a prompt resolution of this situation. Telegram is with you all.”
Telegram was based by Durov and his brother within the wake of the Russian authorities’s crackdown after mass pro-democracy protests that rocked Moscow on the finish of 2011 and 2012. He left after shedding management of his earlier social media firm, Vkontakte (VK).
Learn extra:
Who’s the Telegram founder detained in France?
Pavel Durov in Barcelona, Spain, in 2016. Pic: Reuters
It’s now some of the downloaded apps on the earth with near one billion customers.
It affords end-to-end encryption – successfully defending knowledge from being intercepted – and has a powerful deal with privateness.
However these options have made it a well-liked place for felony exercise and it was lately exploited by far-right activists who sparked riots within the UK over the Southport stabbings.
