Telegram Founder Pavel Durov: From Elon Musk to Tucker Carlson: International Support for Arrested Telegram Founder Pavel Durov

French-Russian tech magnate Pavel Durov was arrested at a Paris airport on Sunday on suspicion of involvement in activities related to his messaging app Telegram. The alleged offences include fraud, drug trafficking, cyberbullying, organised crime and promoting terrorism.
According to the Moscow Times, Durov was arrested at Le Bourget airport and will appear in court on Sunday.
He could face a maximum prison sentence of 20 years. The arrest has sparked much debate and reaction within the technology sector and among celebrities.
Concerns about permissions and content moderation
France has authorized Durov’s arrest as part of an initial investigation into the alleged violations. The arrest of the Telegram founder has led to further debate over the platform’s policy on regulating content.
Famous for its end-to-end encryptionTelegram allows groups of up to 200,000 members, leading to accusations that it enables the spread of misinformation and harmful content.
Reactions from the tech industry
The tech industry responded quickly and loudly to Durov’s arrest.
SpaceX founder Elon Musk was one of the first prominent tech figures to support the “#FreePavel” trend. He expressed concern about the arrest, seeing it as an attack on free speech and suggesting broader implications for censorship. Musk emphasized the dangerous direction these actions represent and voiced his growing concerns about censorship.

American entrepreneur Balaji Srinivasan also criticized the French government’s actions. He suggested that the motives behind the arrest had more to do with control than actual crime prevention, and pointed out the impracticality of holding Durov accountable for user actions on Telegram while the French government itself is struggling with domestic crime.

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin expressed his concerns, noting that while he has previously criticized Telegram’s encryption policies, Durov’s arrest carries troubling implications for communication freedom in Europe.

Paul Graham, a well-known computer scientist and author, weighed in on the issue, discussing how Durov’s arrest could affect France’s reputation as a startup hub, highlighting the potential negative impact on the country’s business climate.

Other international reactions
Edward Snowdenformer NSA intelligence contractor and whistleblower, condemned the arrest on social media. Snowden voiced his dismay on X (formerly Twitter), stating: “an attack on the base human rights of expression and association’, adding that it tarnishes France’s global reputation.

According to the Moscow Times, Tucker Carlson, the former Fox News host who interviewed Durov earlier this year, made an apt comparison. “Pavel Durov left Russia when the government tried to control his social media company, Telegram. But in the end, it wasn’t Putin who arrested him for allowing the public to exercise free speech. It was a Western country, an ally of the Biden administration and an enthusiastic NATO member, that locked him up,” Carlson said.
The Russian Foreign Ministry responded quickly to Durov’s detention. “Reacting to the information about Durov’s detention, the Russian Embassy in France immediately took the necessary steps to clarify the situation regarding the Russian citizen, despite the absence of any request from the representatives of the businessman (Durov),” the ministry told state news agency TASS.
Durov’s background and the future of Telegram
Telegram has not yet released an official statement on Durov’s arrest. Meanwhile, the Russian embassy in France is reportedly working to address the situation, underscoring the diplomatic attention the arrest has received.
Durov, who now lives in Dubai, holds dual citizenship in France and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). He left Russia in 2014 following government pressure to shut down opposition groups on his VKontakte social media platform. Durov was ranked the world’s 120th richest person on August 25, and his swift arrest upon arrival in France has become a flashpoint for larger debates over freedom of speech, law enforcement and digital privacy.
Telegram, launched by Durov in 2013, is known for its secure, end-to-end encrypted messaging services. The platform allows users to create channels to quickly distribute information to large audiences, contributing to its widespread international use.
The upcoming trial will determine the next steps in this legal drama.