# How does the arrest of Pavel Durov affect Telegram and why is this bad for Russia? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 25, 2024, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-arrest-of-pavel-durov-affect-telegram-and-why-is-this-bad-for-russia/1006210 "2024-08-25T19:24:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2024, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-arrest-of-pavel-durov-affect-telegram-and-why-is-this-bad-for-russia/1006210/1 "2024-08-25T19:24:01Z")
> **[Telegram CEO Pavel Durov arrested in France, reports say](https://www.npr.org/2024/08/25/nx-s1-5088676/telegram-ceo-pavel-durov-arrested-france)** > > The Russian-born tech billionaire is a citizen of France and the UAE. Telegram, which he co-founded in 2013, has nearly 1 billion users. It’s known for its hands-off approach to content moderation. I’ve just read the wiki page on Durov. He’s a very interesting person. I have also seen dozens of tweets by people claiming that this is going to really hurt Russia, but I can’t see how. It seems his brother is still free to run Telegram. Anybody have better insight into why this will hurt Russia? ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2024, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-arrest-of-pavel-durov-affect-telegram-and-why-is-this-bad-for-russia/1006210/2 "2024-08-25T19:31:59Z")
What I’ve _heard_ secondhand is that apparently Russia has been using it for government & military communication and worries that will be compromised now. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2024, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-arrest-of-pavel-durov-affect-telegram-and-why-is-this-bad-for-russia/1006210/3 "2024-08-25T22:11:19Z")
> [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](#): > > Anybody have better insight into why this will hurt Russia? Although the arrest is supposedly about the proliferation of scammers and traffickers on Telegraph, I suspect the French want to cut a deal with Durov where he admits that Telegraph has been in cahoots with the Kremlin to flush out anti-war activists in Russia. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2024, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-arrest-of-pavel-durov-affect-telegram-and-why-is-this-bad-for-russia/1006210/4 "2024-08-25T22:32:13Z")
Maybe this article has answers you seek. > **[Telegram app founder Pavel Durov to appear in court after arrest in Paris](https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/aug/25/telegram-app-founder-pavel-durov-to-appear-in-court-after-arrest-in-paris)** > > Russian-born billionaire said to have ‘miscalculated’ by visiting France during inquiry into crime on his platform ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2024, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-arrest-of-pavel-durov-affect-telegram-and-why-is-this-bad-for-russia/1006210/5 "2024-08-27T16:23:49Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > Although the arrest is supposedly about the proliferation of scammers and traffickers on Telegraph, I suspect the French want to cut a deal with Durov where he admits that Telegraph has been in cahoots with the Kremlin to flush out anti-war activists in Russia. My understanding is that Durov is basically exiled from Russia, specifically because Telegram _wouldn’t_ help Russia spy on their users. But I’ve only got a very surface understanding of the story, so that might be incorrect. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2024, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-arrest-of-pavel-durov-affect-telegram-and-why-is-this-bad-for-russia/1006210/6 "2024-08-27T17:53:21Z")
Telegram has 900 million users. The company argues they cannot be responsible for so many people. I tend to agree, not knowing much else about Telegram. But I also think big companies with the resources to do something about problems often choose not to do so and invoke free speech rather than making things better. Free speech is indeed important and also has limits.