Tucker Carlson

Elon Musk

Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov was detained by French authorities in relation to a search warrant targeting alleged violations of the encrypted messaging platform.
<a href="https://www.lemonde.fr/societe/article/2024/08/25/pavel-durov-le-patron-de-telegram-interpelle-a-l-aeroport-du-bourget_6293756_3224.html" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">According</a> to Le Monde and other French media outlets, Durov was arrested at Le Bourget airport north of Paris after landing in his private jet, which had traveled from Azerbaijan.
Le Monde cited sources close to the case that confirmed Durov’s arrest. At the same time, a Bloomberg <a href="https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/business/2024/08/25/telegram-ceo-pavel-durov-arrested-at-paris-airport-afp-reports/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">report</a> noted that Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also corroborated the information in a Telegram <a href="https://t.me/MariaVladimirovnaZakharova/8694" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">post</a>.
Related:&nbsp;Breaking: <a href="https://cointelegraph.com/news/breaking-telegram-ceo-pavel-durov-allegedly-arrested-in-france">Telegram CEO Pavel Durov arrested in France</a>
<h2 data-ct-non-breakable="true" id="search-warrant-issued">Search warrant issued</h2>
According to reports, France’s L’Office Mineurs (OFMIN) — the agency that oversees crimes against minors — issued a search warrant as part of a preliminary investigation into Telegram.
The AFP reported that the alleged offenses range from fraud, drug trafficking, cyberbullying and organized crime. Numerous reports note that the investigation is rooted in&nbsp;Telegram’s alleged lack of content moderation.
OFMIN is coordinating the investigation into Durov and Telegram.&nbsp;The messaging platform’s CEO was reportedly expected to appear in court on Aug. 25. Some reports claim that Durov could face up to 20 years in prison due to the nature of the alleged offenses.&nbsp;
<h3 data-ct-non-breakable="true" id="impact-on-telegram-ton">Impact on Telegram, TON</h3>
The Open Network (TON), the third-party blockchain protocol that the messaging platform has integrated into its service, claims to remain fully operational in the hours after Durov’s arrest.
<figure data-ct-non-breakable="true">
 <img alt="Telegram founder Pavel Durov arrested — What we know so far" src="https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2024-08/f3df1f1f-5b85-4a44-84ac-406ac2eaf792.png" title="">
 <figcaption style="text-align: center;">
 Source: <a href="https://x.com/ton_blockchain/status/1827490660858933483" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">TON</a>
 </figcaption>
</figure>
An official post on TON’s X account stated that the protocol was unaffected and its community was rallying behind Durov.
<blockquote data-ct-non-breakable="true">
 “As a community committed to freedom of speech and decentralization, we stand firmly by Pavel during this challenging time.”
</blockquote>
Telegram has yet to comment on Durov’s arrest. Cointelegraph has reached out to the messaging platform to confirm the details of the incident and if there is any risk of the platform having to hand over user data to French authorities.
Related:&nbsp;<a href="https://cointelegraph.com/news/toncoin-open-interest-surges-pavel-durov-telegram-ceo">Toncoin open interest surges 32% following Pavel Durov's arrest</a>
<h3 data-ct-non-breakable="true" id="libert-elon-musk-vitalik-buterin-react">Liberté? Elon Musk, Vitalik Buterin react</h3>
Tesla founder and X owner Elon Musk took to his social media platform on Aug. 24 and shared a previous interview between Durov and independent journalist Tucker Carlson with the hashtag #FreePavel.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FreePavel?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">#FreePavel</a> <a href="https://t.co/B7AcJWswMs" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/B7AcJWswMs</a>— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1827572720936030703?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">August 25, 2024</a>
</blockquote>
In the video, Durov said that Musk’s takeover of Twitter had been a positive development for technological innovation and the provision of free speech.
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin also weighed in on the topic in <a href="https://x.com/VitalikButerin/status/1827602680388239582" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">reply to an X post</a> by American entrepreneur and investor&nbsp;Balaji Srinivasan.
Buterin said he has previously criticized Telegram’s encryption standards but said that the initial information relating to charges against the platform looked “very bad and worrying for the future of software and comms freedom in Europe.”
<figure data-ct-non-breakable="true">
 <img alt="Telegram founder Pavel Durov arrested — What we know so far" src="https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2024-08/6e98ddec-3460-49a1-855b-34481f6e159b.png" title="">
 <figcaption style="text-align: center;">
 Source: <a href="https://x.com/balajis/status/1827460724341559474" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Balaji Srinivasan</a>
 </figcaption>
</figure>
Other prominent figures took to X to weigh in on the developing story as Telegram began to trend on the social media platform. American politician Robert F. Kennedy Jr, who <a href="https://cointelegraph.com/news/rfk-jr-suspending-2024-presidential-bid">suspended</a>&nbsp;his United States presidential campaign in August 2024, said Durov’s arrest highlighted the need to protect platforms that enable free speech and privacy.
<figure data-ct-non-breakable="true">
 <img alt="Telegram founder Pavel Durov arrested — What we know so far" src="https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2024-08/69b3e4f7-f210-4321-86f2-1b3558a152e1.png" title="">
 <figcaption style="text-align: center;">
 Source:&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/RobertKennedyJr/status/1827540616282055012" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Robert F. Kennedy Jr</a>
 </figcaption>
</figure>
Related:&nbsp;<a href="https://cointelegraph.com/news/rfk-jr-suspending-2024-presidential-bid">RFK Jr says he is suspending, not terminating, presidential campaign</a>
<h3 data-ct-non-breakable="true" id="us-wanted-to-control-telegram-durov">US wanted to control Telegram — Durov</h3>
In his interview with Carlson, Durov claims that Telegram had garnered unwanted attention from the FBI and other US security agencies whenever he had entered the country.
The Telegram CEO claimed that US officers had attempted to hire one of his engineers during his last visit to the country.
“There was an attempt by cybersecurity officers or agents to secretly hire my engineer behind my back. They were curious to learn which open-source libraries are integrated into Telegram’s app, and they tried to persuade him to use certain open-source tools that would serve as backdoors,” Durov told Carlson.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
 PAVEL DUROV: THE U.S. WANTED TO CONTROL TELEGRAM BETTER “We get too much attention from the FBI and other security agencies whenever we come to the U.S. The last time I was in the U.S., I brought an engineer who works for Telegram. There was an attempt by cybersecurity… <a href="https://t.co/DUpz4j5TpX" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/DUpz4j5TpX</a>— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarioNawfal/status/1827471318918341100?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">August 24, 2024</a>
</blockquote>
The Telegram CEO added that FBI agents frequently stopped him upon entry into the US and asked him questions about the messaging service’s operations.
<h3 data-ct-non-breakable="true" id="telegram-s-privacy-under-the-spotlight">Telegram’s privacy under the spotlight</h3>
As details surrounding Durov’s arrest and the investigations into the platform remain scant, questions about the privacy features of Telegram have been raised by industry groups.
An X post from open-source privacy and security-focused mobile operating system firm GrapheneOS <a href="https://x.com/grapheneos/status/1827476729864048877?s=46&amp;t=dSy2iFs67GfHI1ywKiDQsA" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">highlighted</a> concerns over Telegram’s access to group and one-on-one chats.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
 Telegram has full access to all of the content of group chats and regular one-to-one chats due to lack of end-to-end encryption. Their opt-in secret chats use homegrown end-to-end encryption with weaknesses. Deleting the content from the app likely won't remove all copies of it.— GrapheneOS (@GrapheneOS) <a href="https://twitter.com/GrapheneOS/status/1827476729864048877?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">August 24, 2024</a>
</blockquote>
GrapheneOS claimed that Telegram has full access to the content of group chat’s direct messages due to a lack of end-to-end encryption. The post claims Telegram’s secret chat features use homegrown end-to-end encryption with weaknesses and that deleting content from the app may not remove all traces of the messages.
GrapheneOS added that Telegram could potentially provide individual and group messages to authorities in France.
Magazine:&nbsp;<a href="https://cointelegraph.com/magazine/11-critical-moments-ethereum-history-that-made-eth-no2-blockchain/">11 critical moments in Ethereum’s history that made it the No.2 blockchain</a>

Telegram founder Pavel Durov arrested — What we know so far

Table of Contents

Cointelegraph

Other articles published on Aug 25, 2024

Dogecoin Faces Market Downturn

Saino coins Sign Up New Members Through SAINO AirDrop Event

Vitalik Buterin Says Pavel Durov’s Arrest is a Threat to Software and Communication Freedom in Eu...

Bitcoin’s Historic Halving Patterns Signal Potential Peak by October 2025 Amid Bullish Trends

Senators push for ban on bullet vending machines in grocery stores

Binance Coin and Fantom Surge With BNB Aiming For New All-Time High Along With Rollblock

Join our free newsletter for daily crypto updates!