Telegram founder Pavel Durov 'arrested at French airport' after stepping off private jet

Pavel Durov, founder and CEO of Telegram, was arrested at Le Bourget airport in France after arriving from Azerbaijan. His detention followed a search warrant based on a preliminary investigation into Telegram's alleged facilitation of drug trafficking, paedophilia, and fraud due to its lack of moderation and user anonymity features.

Durov, a Franco-Russian national, is often compared to "the Russian Mark Zuckerberg" for creating VKontakte, Russia's top social network. He has faced significant pressure from Russian authorities over his refusal to censor content and provide user data. Since leaving Russia in 2014, he has lived in self-imposed exile, advocating for privacy and freedom of speech.