The Telegram chief’s arrest shouldn’t lead us down a faulty policy path
A lot has happened since Pavel Durov, the billionaire Russian-born Emirati businessman who founded the popular social media and messaging app Telegram, was arrested in France last week. Durov, who has four passports, including one from France, received support from voices across the ideological spectrum, from the far right to the progressive left. Russian media predictably labelled the arrest a Western conspiracy.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei called for stricter laws to regulate cyberspace. Not to be left behind, India is re-investigating Telegram for violations of local laws. Telegram is a unique app.
It is a halfway house between an encrypted messaging service like Signal and WhatsApp, and other social media platforms. Telegram groups can host up to 200,000 users, and the company claims there are no limits on the size of media uploads and messages exchanged via the service. These features make it useful for all manner of activities, ranging from content piracy to political canvassing.
France’s President Emmanuel Macron himself has been an early adopter and user of the app. While details on the nature of the French investigation are blurry, it appears Telegram did not cooperate with France’s information requests linked to the circulation of child sexual abuse material and drug trafficking on the platform. Reports also suggest possible additional charges linked to money laundering and the use of encryption technology without requisite clearances under a rarely invoked and outmoded French law.
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