Telegram CEO Pavel Durov recently condemned the arrests on his messaging app, saying he was ready to leave the market because it was “incompatible.”
“Sometimes we can’t agree with a national regulator on the right balance between privacy and security. In those cases, we are prepared to leave that country. We have done so many times,” Durov said, citing Russia and Iran as two examples. “We are prepared to leave a market that is incompatible with our principles, because we are not doing it for money. We are driven by the desire to bring good and to defend people’s fundamental rights, especially where those rights are violated.”
Last month, Durov was arrested at Paris airport and charged in a French court. He is accused of “complicity in distributing sexual images of children and other crimes such as drug trafficking on messaging apps.” The arrest is part of a broader cybercrime investigation into Telegram’s alleged use of encryption tools and services to facilitate money laundering, child pornography, and drug trafficking.
French authorities released Durov under “judicial supervision,” which means the Telegram founder must remain in France.
The popular messaging app has generated significant revenue from cryptocurrency-related activities. According to a recent report from the Financial Times, it holds $400 million in digital assets as of 2023. Durov said Telegram is worth at least $30 billion.
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About the Author
RT Watson is a senior reporter at The Block, covering a wide range of topics including corporate America, blockchain gaming, and NFTs. Previously, he covered entertainment at The Wall Street Journal, writing about Disney, Netflix, Warner Bros., and the creator economy, with a focus on technological disruption across media. Prior to that, he covered corporate, economic, and political news in Brazil at Bloomberg. RT has interviewed a wide range of people, including CEOs, media moguls, major influencers, politicians, blue-collar workers, drug dealers, and convicted criminals. He holds a Master’s degree in Digital Sociology.