EU distances itself from Durov arrest

The Telegram messaging app’s founder was detained in France over reported accusations of failing to moderate the platform

The European Commission (EC) has declined to comment on Telegram founder Pavel Durov’s arrest in France, calling it an “individual case” and suggesting that Paris be asked for clarification, RIA Novosti reported on Monday.

The Russian tech mogul – who is also a citizen of France, the UAE, and Saint Kitts and Nevis – was arrested at Paris-Le Bourget Airport on Saturday immediately after arriving from Azerbaijan by private jet. According to French media, prosecutors in Paris plan to accuse the 39-year-old of complicity in drug trafficking, pedophilia offenses, fraud, and failure to address criminal activity on the messenger. French authorities said an official statement would be made on Monday.

“The European Commission does not comment on individual cases or ongoing investigations. This is a question for the relevant member state,” the EU’s executive arm was quoted as telling RIA after the outlet reached out for comment.

Separately, an EC spokesperson told Euronews on Monday that Durov’s arrest had nothing to do with Telegram’s obligations under the so-called Digital Services Act (DSA). The EU has tightened its grip on Big Tech under the DSA, which came into force earlier this year. The regulation requires so-called ‘Very Large Online Platforms’ (those with more than 45 million monthly users) to comply with a host of data protection and advertising-related rules.

“Criminal prosecution is not among the potential sanctions for a breach of the DSA,” the EC spokesperson said, adding that “the DSA does not define what is illegal nor does it establish any criminal offence and can therefore not be invoked for arrests. Only national [or international] laws that define a criminal offence can be invoked.”

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Headquartered in Dubai, Telegram claims to have 41 million monthly users in the EU. However, in May EC Vice President for Values and Transparency Vera Jourova told Bloomberg that the platform is a “special case,” and would be investigated and potentially placed on the list anyway.

Jourova accused Telegram of enabling the spread of Russian “disinformation,” and called it “an issue” that the platform is “especially active in the eastern member states where we have a Russian-speaking minority.”

According to Durov, Telegram respects the rights of its users to privacy and freedom of expression. In an interview with American journalist Tucker Carlson earlier this year, Durov said he had rejected requests from Washington to share user data with US authorities or to build so-called surveillance “backdoors” into the platform.

Durov’s arrest has prompted strong reactions, with US tech mogul Elon Musk calling for the Telegram founder’s release and claiming that free speech in Europe is under attack. France has crossed all boundaries by arresting Durov, the CEO of video-sharing platform Rumble, Chris Pavlovski said, adding that he left Europe after the news broke.