Messaging app Telegram said CEO Pavel Durov, who was detained in France on Saturday, had “nothing to hide”.
Mr. Durov arrested Police made the arrest at an airport north of Paris over crimes linked to the app, according to officials.
The investigation reportedly involved a lack of moderation, with Durov accused of failing to take steps to curb Telegram’s criminal use. The app has been accused of failing to cooperate with law enforcement in relation to drug trafficking, child sexual content and fraud.
Telegram said in a statement that “its moderation is in line with industry standards and is constantly improving.”
“It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owners are responsible for the abuse of that platform,” the app said.
Telegram said Mr Durov traveled frequently in Europe, adding that it complied with EU law, including digital services law, Designed to ensure a safe and responsible online environment.
“Nearly 1 billion users around the world use Telegram as a means of communication and as a source of vital information,” the app’s statement reads.
“We are awaiting a speedy resolution of this situation. Telegram’s thoughts are with everyone.”
AFP quoted judicial sources as saying Mr Durov’s detention was extended on Sunday and could last up to 96 hours.
Pavel Durov, 39, was born in Russia and now lives in Dubai, where Telegram is headquartered. He holds dual citizenship of the United Arab Emirates and France.
Telegram is particularly popular in Russia, Ukraine and former Soviet countries.
The app was banned in Russia in 2018 due to his previous refusal to hand over user data. The ban was lifted in 2021.
Telegram is listed as one of the major social media platforms after Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok and WeChat.
Mr. Durov founded Telegram in 2013.
On Sunday, the Russian embassy in France wrote on Facebook that it was seeking “clarification of the reasons for the detention, protection of Mr. Durov’s rights and facilitation of consular access.”
The post added that French authorities were not cooperating with Russian officials.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova posted a message on Telegram asking whether Western human rights NGOs would remain silent about Durov’s arrest after Western human rights NGOs criticized Russia’s decision to arrest Durov in 2018. Telegram is “putting up obstacles” to its work in Russia.
Telegram allows groups of up to 200,000 members, which critics say makes it easier for misinformation to spread and for users to share conspiracist, neo-Nazi, pedophile or terror-related content.
In the UK, the app has come under scrutiny for hosting far-right channels that were instrumental in organizing violent riots in British cities earlier this month.
Cybersecurity experts said Telegram did remove some groups, but overall its systems for controlling extremist and illegal content were significantly weaker than those of other social media companies and messaging apps.
