Telegram said the CEO has 'nothing to hide' after being arrested in France

Telegram said CEO and founder Pavel Durov "has nothing to hide" after being arrested in France.

"It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner is responsible for its abuse ," the company said in an unnamed statement posted on its official channel. in the Telegram app this past Sunday. French officials have confirmed to multiple media outlets that Durov has been arrested as part of a police investigation into criminal activity taking place on this social network.

Although not encrypted by default, Telegram's largely hands-off approach to moderation means the app is considered by many to be a private, uncensored alternative to social networks other. "Nearly one billion users globally use Telegram as a means of communication and an important source of information ," the company's statement reads. "We are waiting for this situation to be resolved quickly . "

Telegram is also an important source of information for the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia. The Russian Embassy in Paris said the French government has so far not granted access to Durov, who was born in Russia and holds citizenship in France and the United Arab Emirates, where Telegram is headquartered. main.

In a rare interview with Tucker Carlson in April, Durov said Telegram's goal is to be a "neutral" platform and oppose censorship requests from the government. He said he mainly avoids traveling to "large, geopolitical" countries where there is "too much attention" to the company. "I go to places that I believe are consistent with what we do and our values . "

Lesley Montoya

Update 27 August 2024