Pavel Durov: Crusader Or Criminal?

THE ARREST IN France of 39-year-old Soviet-born Pavel Durov, the billionaire co-founder of the enormously popular Telegram messag­ing app, on serious charges has evoked strong responses from the tech fraternity. Critics have alleged naked abuse of governmental power against platforms that celebrate freedom of speech. The charges he faces include reported complicity in drug trafficking, money laundering, and refusal to cooperate with law-enforcement agencies.

Durov, born in 1984 in St Petersburg, then called Leningrad, earned the epithet “Mark Zuckerberg of Russia” by the time he was in his 20s. He had his biggest break when he founded the Russian social media platform VK. According to the young tech hotshot who now has an estimated net worth of $15.5 billion, he left Russia in 2014 after the Putin government troubled him with demands to black out the opposition on VK. The young entrepreneur who co-founded Telegram in 2013 with his brother Nikolai now lives in Dubai, the company’s headquarters. Besides being a citizen of the UAE, St Kitts and Nevis, Durov also holds a French passport. Telegram is one of the most popular platforms among Ukrainians as well as Russians who rely on it to receive and share news about the war. An alumnus of Saint Petersburg State University, Durov’s early activities were confined to his home city, known to house world-famous techies—and hackers.

Lately, he has projected himself as a free-speech absolutist and has said that Edward Snowden, the former American NSA intelligence contractor and whistleblower who is now a Russian citizen, is a personal hero. He has attacked empires, including the US and Russia. The US earned his displeasure over what it did to TikTok. About Russia, he said, “Russian authorities have blocked 18 million IP addresses to ban Telegram, but the app remains accessible for Russians. Thank you for all the support and love.”

Durov, who grew up under the spell of his academic father Valery Durov, is passionate about the history of war, political theory and communication. He had written on social media, “My favourite movie is 300. The story about 300 Spartans fighting to protect the freedom of their compatriots will inspire people thousands of years from now.”

Despite his run-ins with Russia, officials from the country of his birth were among the first to condemn his arrest in France on August 25 at Paris-Le Bourget airport on arrival in his private jet from Azerbaijan.

Telegram has seen its business balloon within a short period. So have the fortunes of Durov, who has transformed himself from a sickly-looking geek to flaunting his six-pack and ripped figure on social media and his pages on Telegram. Alongside, rose scrutiny of the digital platform. Responding to the charges, Durov’s lawyer David-Olivier Kaminski told AFP news, “Telegram complies in all respects with European rules concerning digital technology.” The lawyer added that it was ridiculous to suggest that Durov could be implicated in any crime committed on the app.

Throwing his weight behind Durov, Elon Musk called the arrest a dangerous development. Technologist and podcaster Lex Fridman said, “The arrest of Pavel Durov is a disturbing attack on free speech and a threat not just to Telegram but to any online platform. Governments should not engage in censorship.” Durov himself has made statements in the past to reinforce his credentials as a pro-freedom crusader: “Nine years ago [2014], I defended the private data of Ukrainians from the Russian government—and lost my company and my home. I would do it again without hesitation.”

In the face of relentless accusations of abetting fraud on his platform, Durov had said, “We support free speech and peaceful protest, but terrorist propaganda has no place on our platform. The success of our ongoing anti-ISIS efforts proves that you don’t have to sacrifice privacy for security.”

Telegram has now said that Durov has “nothing to hide” as news emerged that he faces 12 charges from French authorities. According to the Wall Street Journal, his arrest in France came many years after the French requested him to shift his base from Dubai to Paris. He was wooed earlier by top French leaders, the report said. Does that make him a villain or hero? We may soon know.

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