Telegram CEO Held Over Alleged Failure to Stop Crime on App

French magistrate will decide whether to charge Pavel Durov
Durov was apprehended at an airport outside Paris on Saturday

Telegram Questions Grounds for France's Detention of CEO Pavel DurovPhotographer: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg

Provide news feedback or report an error

Confidential tip?

Send a tip to our reporters

Site feedback:

Take our Survey

By Gaspard Sebag

August 26, 2024 at 8:32 AM EDT

Updated on

August 26, 2024 at 12:13 PM EDT

This article is for subscribers only.

Pavel Durov, the chief executive officer of Telegram, has been detained in France over claims that the messaging service failed to properly fight crime on the app, including the spread of child sexual abuse material.

The 39-year-old Russian-born billionaire was stopped on Saturday at Le Bourget airport north of Paris, according to a statement from Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau. The following day, a judge running the case extended his detention from 24 to up to 96 hours.