Tech experts divided over Telegram’s CEO arrest

French authorities on August 24 detained Pavel Durov, CEO of Telegram, for questioning as part of an investigation involving multiple charges against an unnamed individual, including money laundering, unauthorized use of cryptography services, and sharing child abuse images.

Telegram issued a statement on X asserting compliance with EU laws and emphasizing Durov’s frequent travels in Europe, dismissing claims that the platform or its owner are responsible for the misuse of the platform. Critics, however, argue that Telegram’s defense overlooks the app’s reputation for being a haven for criminals due to its lax moderation policies and Durov’s resistance to law enforcement requests to remove or censor content.

EU countries have previously clashed with Telegram, such as when Germany fined the platform in 2022 for non-compliance with national law. This time, however, officials have targeted the executive rather than the company. Juan Ortiz-Freuler of the Berkman Klein Center at Harvard University noted that detaining a CEO over platform-enabled crimes is unprecedented.

Catalina Goanta of Utrecht University and Anupam Chander of Georgetown University highlighted that the case underscores the limits of free speech in the digital realm. Goanta emphasized that freedom of speech is not absolute when an online service fails to comply with laws against drug trafficking, terrorism, child sexual abuse, and intellectual property violations. Chander suggested that Telegram might have benefited from some illegal activities, explaining the French authorities’ aggressive stance.