Pavel Durov, the 39-year-old founder and CEO of Telegram, has broken his silence following his recent arrest in France, offering a critical perspective on the French authorities’ actions and outlining plans for Telegram’s future. Durov, who was questioned by police for four days after arriving in Paris last month, is currently released on a €5 million bail but is barred from leaving France and must report to the police twice weekly.In his statement, Durov expressed surprise at the French authorities’ approach, stating, ‘It is a wrong approach to use laws from the pre-smartphone era to accuse a CEO of the platform for the crimes committed by the individuals using the platform’. He emphasized that Telegram has been cooperating with EU authorities, including those in France, and that there were multiple ways for French officials to contact him or the company.Durov revealed that Telegram’s user base has grown to 950 million, acknowledging that this rapid expansion has made the platform more susceptible to misuse by malicious actors. In response, he announced plans to improve Telegram’s security measures, stating, ‘I have set myself the personal goal of significantly improving the situation in this regard. We have already started this process internally, and I will soon share with you more detailed information about our progress’.The Telegram founder also addressed claims that the platform is an ‘anarchic paradise,’ calling them ‘absolutely false’ and stating that his team removes ‘millions of harmful publications and channels’ every day. However, he maintained that finding the right balance between privacy and security remains a challenge.Durov emphasized Telegram’s commitment to its principles, stating that the company is willing to leave markets that are incompatible with its values, citing past examples of the app being banned in Russia and Iran for refusing to hand over encryption keys. He expressed hope that the recent events would lead to Telegram and the entire social media industry becoming ‘safer and stronger’.The case continues to raise questions about the responsibilities of tech platforms and the challenges of regulating global digital services. Durov argued that such legal actions could stifle innovation, warning that ‘No innovator will ever build new tools if they know they can be personally held responsible for potential abuse of those tools’.
Key points
- Pavel Durov criticizes his arrest in France as ‘misguided’, arguing against holding CEOs personally responsible for user-generated content.
- Telegram’s user base has grown to 950 million, creating challenges in content moderation and platform security.
- Durov promises to improve Telegram’s security measures while maintaining a balance between user privacy and cooperation with authorities.
- The case raises broader questions about tech platform responsibilities and the potential impact on innovation.
Contradictions👾While Durov claims Telegram cooperates with authorities and removes harmful content daily, French authorities accuse the platform of refusing to provide information about users spreading illegal content.
