The arrest and investigation of Pavel Valeryevich Durov, CEO of encrypted social media and messaging platform Telegram, has spiralled concerns related to the promotion of unlicensed crypto gambling websites.
Durov was arrested on the tarmac of a Paris airport this saturday by French authorities, largely due to concerns about moderation of illicit commerce and harmful content displayed on Telegram’s platform, which engages with a reported +1 billion users worldwide.
The Russian-born businessman, a citizen of Russia, the UAE, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and France, has caused an international stir. His capture was branded a ‘politically motivated arrest’ by the Kremlin – despite some past criticisms Durov has made of the Putin government – and led to calls of ‘Free Pavel’ by X CEO Elon Musk, who stated that Durov had become a prisoner of the EU’s ongoing war on free speech.
