Pavel Durov, the billionaire founder and CEO of Telegram, was arrested Saturday at Le Bourget Airport near Paris, according to local media. Durov, who flew in from Tehran on his private jet, was detained by local authorities. The investigation into him is focused on Telegram’s lack of moderators, a fact that law enforcement is concerned has allowed criminal activity to flourish unchecked on the platform.
Telegram, known for its strong encryption, has repeatedly refused to comply with government demands for a backdoor key, citing concerns over user privacy. Following Durov’s arrest, Telegram’s TON token plummeted, dropping as much as 18% before stabilizing slightly. At the time of writing, TON is trading at just over $5.71, down 14% in the past few hours.
The team behind the TON blockchain responded to the news by assuring the community that the network remains fully operational. They posted the following message on X: “Despite recent developments regarding Telegram founder Pavel Durov, the TON community remains strong and fully operational.”
According to Sputnik, Durov is due to appear in court on Saturday night, facing serious charges. French media reports say he could face up to 20 years in prison. The charges are related to Telegram’s lack of content moderation and Durov’s failure to cooperate with French authorities.
Telegram was created by Durov and his brother Nikolai, a programmer. With around 900 million active users, it is one of the most popular messaging apps in the world. However, its loose content moderation has led to accusations that it is often used for criminal activities and spreading extremist material.
It has also grown with the help of community contributors and integration into Telegram. This has increased the price of TON by over 300% in the past year. However, this connection is now causing the price of TON to drop.
