Telegram CEO Pavel Durov breaks silence after arrest in France, vows to 'improve platform safety'

Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has released a statement addressing his recent arrest in France, acknowledging the need for improved safety measures on the messaging platform while defending the company's commitment to user privacy.

Durov, arrested twelve days ago on charges of enabling criminal activity on Telegram, including the distribution of child sexual abuse material, expressed surprise at the charges, claiming the French authorities had failed to utilise established channels for communication with the company.

"This was surprising for several reasons," Durov stated in his Telegram post. "Telegram has an official representative in the EU that accepts and replies to EU requests. Its email address has been publicly available for anyone in the EU who googles 'Telegram EU address for law enforcement.'"

He further argued that using "laws from the pre-smartphone era" to hold CEOs accountable for third-party actions on their platforms was a misguided approach.

Acknowledging "Growing Pains" and a Commitment to Improvement

While maintaining Telegram's stance on protecting user privacy, particularly in authoritarian regimes, Durov acknowledged that the platform's rapid growth to 950 million users has led to challenges in effectively moderating content.

"Telegram’s abrupt increase in user count to 950M caused growing pains that made it easier for criminals to abuse our platform," he admitted. "That’s why I made it my personal goal to ensure we significantly improve things in this regard. We’ve already started that process internally, and I will share more details on our progress with you very soon."

Balancing Privacy and Security

Durov highlighted the difficulty in striking a balance between user privacy and security requirements, particularly when navigating global laws and technological limitations. He reiterated Telegram's willingness to engage with regulators but also their readiness to withdraw from markets that clash with their principles.

"Sometimes we can’t agree with a country’s regulator on the right balance between privacy and security," Durov stated. "In those cases, we are ready to leave that country. We’ve done it many times. When Russia demanded we hand over 'encryption keys' to enable surveillance, we refused — and Telegram got banned in Russia. When Iran demanded we block channels of peaceful protesters, we refused — and Telegram got banned in Iran. We are prepared to leave markets that aren’t compatible with our principles, because we are not doing this for money. We are driven by the intention to bring good and defend the basic rights of people, particularly in places where these rights are violated."