Pavel Durov: Criticism of Telegram Will Turn into 'Praise'

Pavel Durov, the CEO and founder of Telegram, stated on Friday, September 7, that the messaging platform will address criticism regarding its insufficient content moderation. In a message to his over 12 million subscribers on Telegram, he also mentioned that the platform will remove features that are misused for illegal activities. Durov was arrested last week in France concerning the use of Telegram in crimes such as fraud, money laundering, and sharing images of child sexual abuse. The French prosecutor's office released him on bail after a preliminary investigation that lasted four days. According to this Russian-born tech entrepreneur, while 99.999% of Telegram users have no connection to crime, 0.001% of them create a negative image for the platform with their illegal activities, endangering nearly one billion users of the messaging service. He further committed, without providing specific details, that criticism of Telegram would turn into 'praise.' Durov's arrest has garnered widespread attention in the global tech industry and sparked heated discussions about the limits of free speech on social media and the responsibilities of platform managers regarding users' criminal behaviors. Durov's lawyer claims that the investigation into Durov's role concerning crimes committed by users on Telegram is futile. Katie Harbath, former public policy director at Meta, now advises companies on tech issues, stated that Durov's content moderation efforts are a positive step, but such an approach will not yield results with just a few minor changes in Telegram. Telegram does not process reports of illegal content in private chats and protects users' messages. In a message published on Thursday, Durov acknowledged that Telegram is not perfect but refuted claims by some media that it is a kind of 'lawless paradise,' asserting that the platform removes millions of harmful posts and channels daily. Durov criticized his arrest in France, stating that French authorities could have simply shared their concerns with a Telegram representative in the European Union or with him directly. The CEO and founder of Telegram wrote: 'If a country is dissatisfied with an internet service, the standard procedure is to initiate legal action against that service itself.' Source: Reuters. Durov's first reaction after temporary release: Instead of arresting, you should have sued Telegram. Russia warned about Durov's arrest in France; Macron: I was unaware of Durov's trip. Pavel Durov, CEO of Telegram, was released after four days of questioning but is not allowed to leave France. Extension of the detention order for the CEO of Telegram in France; Macron: Durov's arrest is not 'political.' Telegram's reaction to the arrest of its founder in France: Durov has nothing to hide.