Telegram Founder Pavel Durov Arrested in France, Elon Musk Protests 

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Jai Pratap

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Jai Pratap

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Jai serves as the Asia Desk Editor for Cryptonews.com, where he leads a diverse team of international reporters. Jai has over five years of experience covering the web3 industry.

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Last updated: 

August 24, 2024

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Billionaire Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov was arrested on Saturday at Bourget airport outside Paris, local media outlets reported. Durov was arriving from Azerbaijan in his private jet when he was arrested by local authorities.

The investigation against Durov revolves around lack of moderators on Telegram, with police believing that this has enabled criminal activity to persist unchecked on the messaging platform.

Earlier this year, Durov had revealed in an interview with Tucker Carlson about the constant troubles he has faced from authorities from around the world, especially Russia and USA.

The giant messaging platform has a reputation for strong encryption as Durov has constantly rejected requests from the government to give them a back key for the purpose of investigation.

Telegram Linked TON Token Falls Over 15%

Telegram linked TON token plunged as much as 17% briefly when the news of Durov being arrested in France broke. At the time of writing, TON is trading at just above $5.83, down 14% in the last few hours.

Elon Musk Protests Pavel Durov’s Arrest

Elon Musk took to social media to voice his support for Pavel Durov. Musk highlighted the significance of the First Amendment’s free speech protections in the United States, quipping, “It’s 2030 in Europe, and people are getting executed for liking memes.” He also referenced reports that Durov could be facing a prison sentence of up to 20 years.

Team behind TON blockchain posted on X about Durov’s arrest, assuring the community that Ton remains fully operational. “Following the recent news related to the Telegram’s founder Pavel Durov, we want to assure everyone that the TON community remains strong and fully operational.”