Telegram CEO Pavel Durov took to the messaging app to not only criticize the reasons for the recent arrests but also declare that he is ready to withdraw from unsuitable markets.
Durov, “Sometimes we disagree with a country’s regulator about the real stability between closure and security. In those cases we are prepared to withdraw from that country. We have done that many times.”He gave examples of Iran and Russia.
“We are prepared to withdraw from markets that do not align with our principles because we are not doing this for the money. We are driven by bringing beauty and defending people’s fundamental rights, especially where those rights are being violated.”
Durov was arrested at Paris airport last month. Before his arrest, a French court had brought charges against him. He was accused of “complicity in the dissemination of child sexual imagery and other crimes such as drug trafficking on the messaging app.” The arrest was part of a larger cybercrime investigation into Telegram’s alleged role in drug trafficking, child pornography and money laundering through its cryptographic tools and services.
Durov was released by French authorities under “judicial supervision” that obliged the creator of Telegram to remain in France. The most widely used messaging app has generated a positive portion of its revenue from crypto-related operations. According to the latest analysis by the Financial Times, Telegram has $400 million in digital assets as of 2023. Durov claims that Telegram is worth at least $30 billion.
