Darren Loucaides writes about Pavel Durov, the CEO of Telegram, and the events that led to his arrest. It contrast Durov's public image versus his actions, and how Telegram’s relationship with governments and its approach to content moderation shifted significantly over time.
Durov seems to have been unaware how close to the sun he was flying. One senior former Telegram employee reflected that, while the arrest was not inconceivable under strict European legislation, it was still startling.
The case that culminated with Durov’s dramatic arrest on multiple charges began with a single investigation the previous winter. It was a covert operation pursuing a suspect on Telegram who investigators said had pressured underage girls to send him child sexual abuse material and had admitted on the platform to raping a young girl. According to a document seen by Politico.eu, when investigators made a request to Telegram to reveal the suspect’s identity, the company refused.