Pavel Durov, CEO of the messaging app Telegram, was arrested in Paris on August 24 for allegedly permitting the platform to be used for criminal activities, according to French media reports.
In a press release on Monday, the Paris judicial court announced that Pavel Durov, founder and CEO of the messaging app Telegram, was detained at Le Bourget Airport on August 24 and taken into custody by Paris police. The arrest and subsequent investigation followed an inquiry conducted by the Paris prosecutor’s office.
The Paris prosecutor’s office stated that they are investigating allegations that Telegram is being used for criminal purposes, including illegal transactions, child pornography, drug trafficking, fraud, and money laundering, and that the platform is facilitating these activities. However, Telegram has denied any involvement in cybercrime.
On the social media platform X, Telegram stated that it adheres to EU laws, including the Digital Services Act. The company emphasized that its moderation practices meet industry standards and are continually improving. Telegram added, “It is absurd to claim that the platform or its owners are responsible for the misuse of the platform.”
Pavel Durov was born in Russia and holds dual citizenship in the United Arab Emirates and France. He founded the Russian social networking service VKontakte in 2006. However, when the Russian government demanded that he hand over the personal data of Ukrainian users, he refused and subsequently sold the platform.
In 2013, Durov founded Telegram, a heavily encrypted, anonymous messaging app. Initially popular within cryptocurrency communities, Telegram has since expanded significantly and now boasts approximately 900 million active users who employ the app in messaging, media sharing, and group communication.
Telegram’s rapid growth is largely attributed to its encrypted messaging feature. When a message or other data is sent on Telegram, it is stored in an encrypted format, which enhances privacy and security, though it does not guarantee complete protection. Nonetheless, this high-level encryption has raised concerns, as the platform’s secure messaging service is being exploited by cybercriminals to commit a range of serious crimes.
For example, Telegram is being abused throughout South Korea as a tool for distributing illegal pornography, conducting cryptocurrency scams, trafficking drugs, and engaging in other abuses. Earlier this year, South Korean police reported that a seven-person cryptocurrency fraud ring purchased illegally obtained personal information from Telegram, identified the individuals as victims, and then created another Telegram chat room to run a cryptocurrency investment scam.
In May, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency announced the arrest of three men for distributing and selling illegal pornographic composites of 61 women, including former schoolmates with whom they had attended university, on Telegram. One of the victims had reported the crime as early as 2022 and requested an investigation, but the case was closed due to the difficulties involved in identifying perpetrators on Telegram, owing to the platform’s elaborate encryption protections and strong policy of guarding its users’ privacy.
The Readable contacted Kim Seung-joo, a cybersecurity professor at Korea University, to gain insight into the nature and severity of the crimes being perpetrated on Telegram.
“Telegram CEO understands the reasons behind the popularity of the app, which is mainly related to the CEO’s disobedience of the Russian government order back in 2006 in addition to the illusion of the superior security, which is not exactly true,” said the cybersecurity expert. “This stance of the company, which emphasizes the noncompliance with governments and law enforcement agencies, allows criminals to take advantage of it, while making Telegram weak in terms of corporate social responsibility,” added Kim.
Related article: Scammers exploit breached data in $520K crypto theft
South Korean police say they have uncovered a cryptocurrency fraud scheme where stolen victim data, acquired through the messaging app Telegram, was used to target unsuspecting individuals.
The Incheon Jungbu Police have arrested seven members of a cryptocurrency scam ring, according to Senior Inspector Choi Jae-hwang of the station’s Intelligent Crime Investigation unit. The group is accused of defrauding 69 victims of around $520,000 (710 million won) between February 14 and March 4. The scam involved a fake cryptocurrency website, Choi revealed at a press briefing.
According to police, the criminals targeted individuals who had already fallen victim to cryptocurrency or investment scams. The scammers used phone calls and texts to tempt these victims, promising to recover all their lost funds. They then directed them to a fake crypto mining website that supposedly collected cryptocurrencies and offered unrealistic daily earnings of 4 million won. However, authorities stressed that the website was designed to be a dead end, preventing victims from ever obtaining any revenue. READ MORE
