PARIS – Imagine disembarking from an airplane only to be greeted by police already waiting for you. Your phone is confiscated. After waiting for an explanation, a list of offenses are read aloud to you, claiming you have committed certain “crimes.” Yet, these are only preliminary charges: you are not  accused of an actual crime.

You are led to awaiting vehicle, surrounded by armed officers, You pass many of the iconic sights of Paris, one of the greatest cities in Europe and the world, You arrive at a government building, ornate in true classical style, and are escorted into a room with no windows, a sleeping mat, and basic necessities.

You sit in silence, a billionaire suddenly without recourse. What is your crime, and what will happen to the thousands who use your social media app?

From Russia, With Love

“My current status is I’m not on trial. It’s an investigation intended to find out whether there will be enough evidence to put this on trial,” Durov told Business Insider on June 11. From his quarters in a Paris hotel, Durov lives as normal of a life as he possibly can. He is allowed to travel to Dubai, however, for business purposes. Durov cannot see his girlfriend or children who call Dubai home.

According to French authorities, Durov is suspected of committing six specific crimes of “complicity” regarding Telegram. The charges range from “. . . the distribution of child sexual abuse material and drug trafficking on Telegram while refusing to cooperate with the authorities’ investigation into the platform.”

Durov

Yet, Durov says that the charges are unfounded, and that he is openly compliant and open with EU (European Union) laws. In fact, as he disclosed in an interview with Tucker Carlson, the French embassy is in the same Dubai office building where the Telegram’s offices are located.

Durov’s attorney, David-Olivier Kaminski, told the press, “It’s totally absurd to think that the person in charge of a social network could be implicated in criminal acts that don’t concern him, directly or indirectly.”

Carlson

 Some, like Carlson, openly question if Durov’s ethnicity plays a part in his detainment since August of 2024. French President Emmanuel Macron assured concerned tech moguls, reporters, and citizens that Durov’s arrest is “in no way a political decision” and that France is “deeply committed to freedom of expression.”

Telegram released a formal statement in 2024, saying, “It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner are responsible for abuse of that platform. Almost a billion users globally use Telegram as a means of communication and as a source of vital information. We’re awaiting a prompt resolution of this situation. Telegram is with you all.”

What is the Big Deal?

Elon Musk, another billionaire who owns X, has pushed back against Durov’s arrest, stressing how free speech in the West is under attack from globalist elite. Musk is an outspoken advocate for Durov’s release and for Western culture and values.

Durov and his plight may seem far removed from the United States, so what is at stake as he is detained?

• Durov’s arrest highlights the struggle between governments and free enterprise regarding social media platforms.
• The investigation focuses on Telegram’s alleged failure to prevent illegal activities on the site. This raises the question of who is responsible.
• Encryption does not function the same on Telegram as it does on Facebook and other popular platforms. Durov said he has complied with EU regulations and is transparent; French authorities claim otherwise.
• The global impact of Durov’s arrest could impact not only Telegram users but all users of social media. Government oversight could increase and potential legislation passed to curb certain activities.
• The step beyond monitoring accounts for security/legal reasons is monitoring what should or should not be said online. Who will determine the values upon which these hypothetical decisions are made? Could this lead to political/religious unrest and discrimination or arrest?

Above-ground Resistance

Durov said he understands what it is to live in a world with little to no choices. Born behind the Iron Curtain in 1984, Durov’s family relocated to Italy when he was four years old. Living in a free, European society opened his eyes to a new world of thoughts, ideas, and personal options. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Durov family returned to Russia.

Durov and his brother, Nikolai, explored their interests in mathematics, programming, and coding. “I hardly slept,” Durov said with a smile, recounting the 1990s and early 2000s.

Security

In 2018, the Russian Federal Security Service tried to block Telegram and later demanded personal information from Ukrainian users. Durov declined and left the country. He became a French citizen, in 2021, but spent a majority of his time in Dubai.

Last year, Telegram upgraded its policy for users to report illegal activity on the site. According to Forbes,“All Telegram apps have ‘Report’ buttons that let you flag illegal content for our moderators — in just a few taps. Users can now tap on any message on the app and have the option to ‘Report’ it. After pressing the report button, users can select a reason such as spam, violence, child abuse, illegal drugs, personal details, pornography, or others.”

You can watch Durov’s virtual appearance at the Human Rights Foundation conference, in Oslo, Norway, here.

Unsettling Questions, Uncertain Answers

According to Durov, during another Tucker Carlson interview before his arrest, he brought an engineer with him to the United States and “there was an attempt to secretly hire my engineer behind my back by Cyber security officers.” Durov attributes this event to the FBI.

Why would American federal agents be interested in Durov’s engineer? Durov claims that the FBI was “curious” about open-sources libraries linked to Telegram user’s accounts, thus creating a “back door.”

The world of high tech and government agents conducting Cyber sweeps may sound like the stuff of a spy novel, but how can the average person protect themselves?

Cyber Detectives

• Stay informed of updated policies and regulations of any social media apps you use.
• Use a VPN when using public WiFi to protect your information while using the internet.
• Enable encryption on all of your devices and use strong passwords.
• Use common sense. Do you need to conduct all of your personal business online? Are there any apps that you can stop using or limit usage?
• Be careful what you post online.
• Aim for “tech-free” days – set aside a 24-hour window of time where you do not use your mobile phone or any electronic device, unless in the case of an emergency.

Durov’s story serves as a warning to us all, and a wake-up call for us to take online security seriously.

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