The recent arrest of Pavel Durov, the CEO of the messaging platform Telegram, has brought both the app and its enigmatic founder into the global spotlight. Durov, a Russian native, was apprehended at Bourget Airport in Paris on a warrant concerning the platform's alleged failure to adequately moderate its content.

According to a statement from French prosecutor Laure Beccuau, the charges against Durov encompass accusations that Telegram has facilitated various illegal activities, including aiding and abetting fraudsters, money launderers, drug traffickers, and individuals involved in the dissemination of child sexual exploitation material. Durov is also accused of withholding "information or documents" pertinent to the investigation.

On Wednesday, French authorities announced that Durov had been placed under formal investigation, with restrictions on leaving France. This procedural step in the French legal system signifies a serious and ongoing inquiry, though it does not presuppose guilt. Durov is now under judicial supervision, with a bail amount set at $5.56 million, and he is mandated to report to a French police station twice weekly.

The arrest of Durov coincides with increasing scrutiny of Telegram due to its use by terrorist organizations and far-right extremists. This has ignited a debate on the balance between freedom of speech and the responsibility for illicit content online. Russian lawmaker Maria Butina, previously convicted in the US on espionage charges, referred to Durov as a "political prisoner," as reported by Reuters.

However, French President Emmanuel Macron clarified in a statement that Durov's arrest was not politically motivated, emphasizing that it was part of an ongoing judicial investigation. The Paris prosecutor's office disclosed that Durov's arrest is tied to a broad probe into various criminal activities on Telegram since July 8, encompassing a total of 12 distinct charges.

Telegram has maintained that it complies with EU regulations and that Durov has "nothing to hide." To understand the context and significance of these events, it is essential to delve into the nature of Telegram and the reasons behind the controversy it has attracted.

Launched in 2013 by Durov and his brother Nikolai, Telegram is an encrypted messaging service that has amassed over 950 million users, positioning it as one of the world's most widely used communication platforms. It has become an indispensable service in numerous countries, facilitating not only everyday conversations but also the sharing of photos, documents, and government communications.

The encryption of conversations on the platform limits the oversight capabilities of law enforcement and even Telegram itself, which has made it a crucial tool for communication in nations where freedom of speech is restricted, such as Russia, Iran, and India. Its popularity has also extended to Ukraine, where it serves as a critical medium for war-related news and air raid alerts.

Conversely, the same privacy features that protect legitimate users have also attracted illicit actors, including drug traffickers, money launderers, and extremists like White supremacists and terrorist organizations such as ISIS. Telegram permits up to 200,000 users in a single chat group, a feature that can enable the rapid spread of misinformation. This is a stark contrast to other encrypted services like Meta's WhatsApp, which impose lower limits on group sizes.

In March, Durov revealed to the Financial Times that Telegram was nearing profitability, having introduced advertising and subscription models two years prior. He also mentioned that the company was contemplating an initial public offering.

Beyond its association with criminal elements, Telegram has been scrutinized for its role in significant conflicts and political events, as well as its steadfast commitment to encryption. In 2018, Moscow attempted to ban Telegram for its refusal to provide decryption keys to Russian security services, which would have allowed the state to access private messages. Durov pledged to resist the ban, and it was eventually lifted in 2020.

Telegram gained popularity among supporters of former US President Donald Trump and adherents of the Q-Anon conspiracy theory in 2021, following crackdowns on false claims of a stolen 2020 US presidential election by mainstream social media platforms. This raised concerns among law enforcement about the potential for disinformation to incite further real-world violence.

Last year, Telegram restricted access to several channels linked to or operated by Hamas during the group's conflict with Israel. More recently, the messaging app began proactively removing content advocating violence from its platform, following reports of its use in organizing far-right, anti-immigrant riots in the United Kingdom.

A Telegram spokesperson, Remi Vaughn, stated in a statement that the platform's moderators are actively monitoring and removing channels and posts that promote violence, which are explicitly prohibited by Telegram's terms of service. Moderators monitor public areas of the platform, utilize AI tools, and rely on user reports to enforce the rules.

In a statement on Sunday, Telegram asserted that it is "absurd" to hold a platform or its owner accountable for the misuse of their services.

Durov, the billionaire founder and CEO of Telegram, was born in the Soviet Union in 1984 and has been recognized for his aptitude in mathematics and coding from a young age. In 2006, he launched Vkontakte (VK), a social media platform, immediately after graduating from university. As VK's user base grew, Durov earned the nickname "the Mark Zuckerberg of Russia."

However, when protesters utilized VK to organize demonstrations against Ukraine's pro-Russian president, Viktor Yanukovich, in 2013, Durov claimed that the Kremlin demanded the site to surrender private data of Ukrainian users. In response, he refused, resigned as VK's CEO, sold his shares, and left Russia in 2014, stating, "I don't want to take orders from anyone."

Durov also founded Telegram in 2013 and currently resides in Dubai, where the company is headquartered. He holds dual citizenship in France. Apart from leading Telegram, Durov has become an online personality, sharing images of his travels on Instagram, often in a shirtless manner. He has also claimed to have fathered over 100 children through sperm donations made over the past 15 years.