Telegram founder Pavel Durov was arrested in France last month, accused of failing to cooperate with law enforcement and being complicit in crimes committed through his platform. These crimes include distributing child sexual abuse material, drug trafficking, and fraud.
Durov’s arrest comes as Telegram faces increasing scrutiny for its role in allowing illegal activity, extremism, and disinformation to spread with little moderation.
Telegram as a Hub for Harmful Content
An investigation by The New York Times has revealed the scale of harmful content circulating on Telegram. The platform hosts:
- 1,500 channels run by white supremacist groups, coordinating activities for nearly one million people worldwide.
- At least two dozen channels used to market weapons.
- 22 channels offering illegal drugs for purchase, with deliveries available in more than 22 countries.
- 40 channels operated by Hamas, which saw a tenfold increase in viewership after the October 7 attacks, reaching over 400 million views in that month alone.
Some of this activity has even led to real-world violence. In the UK, recent riots were fueled by hate speech on Telegram, and in Ireland, arson attacks on migrant housing centers are believed to have been sparked by posts on the platform. Rebecca Weiner, a senior official at the New York Police Department, described Telegram as “the most popular place for ill-intentioned, violent actors to congregate.”
Lack of Moderation Raises Concerns
Telegram’s hands-off approach to moderating content has long been a key concern. The app, which promotes privacy and free speech, employs only a small moderation team—just a few hundred people, far fewer than other tech companies. This has frustrated law enforcement agencies around the world, who claim Telegram has not cooperated in investigations. France, for example, charged Durov with complicity in child sexual abuse material trafficking due to what authorities called an “almost total lack of response” to their requests for assistance.
However, technology giants like Apple and Google have found more success pressuring Telegram to act. By threatening to remove the app from their stores, they have forced the platform to remove or limit access to harmful content. Durov himself acknowledged that these companies have had more influence on Telegram’s policies than governments.
As Telegram approaches one billion users, many democratic governments are losing patience with the platform. The European Union is exploring new measures under the Digital Services Act that could require Telegram to take a more active role in content moderation.
Durov’s arrest may signal a turning point. After his release, he addressed his 12 million Telegram followers, promising significant improvements to the platform’s content moderation efforts in response to the increasing pressure from authorities.
