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French authorities reportedly arrest Telegram’s CEO

The Telegram logo on a black and red background
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Telegram CEO Pavel Durov is reportedly in custody after being arrested near Paris Saturday evening as he was departing his private jet. The billionaire was apprehended on a warrant related to a preliminary investigation, writes Reuters.

French authorities reportedly believe that the platform’s lack of moderation has “allowed criminal activity to go on undeterred on the messaging app.” Durov will go before a judge tonight and could be indicted as early as Sunday, according to TF1 (which we read using Google Translate), one of two French outlets cited by Reuters.

Telegram has become a critical resource as people turn to it to find crucial information in places where heavy information censorship is common, such as Russia. But Durov’s…

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