It is an event of unprecedented scale: the arrest and subsequent indictment of a billionaire who runs one of the world’s largest digital platforms. Since 24 August, the Pavel Durov affair has dominated the headlines of the world’s press. It has also sparked a stand-off between Moscow and Paris and, more generally, sparked lively debates about the limits of freedom of expression and the responsibility of social media.
Saturday, August 24: surprise arrest at the airport
19:30: An Embraer Legacy 600 aircraft, chartered by a private company, completes its descent towards the runways of Le Bourget Airport (Seine-Saint-Denis). On board the plane from Baku, Azerbaijan, a distinguished guest: Pavel Durov, CEO of the Telegram app, who is travelling in the company of a bodyguard and a young cryptocurrency influencer. Pavel Durov had planned to have dinner in Paris, but his plans were quickly thwarted: just after landing, he was arrested by the police.
The reasons for this arrest are gradually being revealed: confirming information from TF1 and LCI, sources close to the matter say that the 39-year-old billionaire had been the subject of a search warrant since July linked to his messaging service, used by more than 900 million people around the world. The Office for Minors (Ofmin), the investigative service responsible for combating violence against minors, has been investigating for six months the presence of child pornography content on Telegram, which the teams had ignored, it reported. political, a French judicial search aimed at identifying a juvenile offender. The investigation has since been extended and several French investigative services have been involved.
This is a world first. The head of a digital platform has never been arrested before. Pavel Durov then tried to do a stunt in front of the investigators: according to him, the President of the Republic was waiting for him in person at the Elysée Palace, as he later said. HE chained duck. A bluff: the Elysée denied it some time later, arguing that the head of state was in Le Touquet that evening anyway. Telegram boss arrested; he asks to inform Xavier Niel, founder of Illiad and individual shareholder of the Le Monde group, whom he has known for a long time.
Sunday, August 25: First reactions of indignation
The news of Pavel Durov’s arrest spread overnight on social media. While French investigators are just beginning to question the CEO of Telegram at the offices of the National Anti-Fraud Office (ONAF), the first outrages are emerging on the Internet. Whistleblower Edward Snowden, Elon Musk, owner of the social network, attacked freedom of expression.
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