Messaging app founder detained in French airport

French authorities extended the hold on Russian-born Telegram Founder and CEO Pavel Durov after detaining him on a warrant at the Paris-Le Bourget Airport on Saturday. Authorities alleged that Telegram’s scant online speech restrictions facilitated criminal activity, including money laundering and drug trafficking. The arrest was met with international uproar against French authorities by free speech advocates. Russian protesters gathered outside the French embassy in Moscow on Sunday and planted paper airplanes into the building’s bushes, referencing Telegram’s paper airplane logo. President Emmanuel Macron should get out of France because Durov's army is out to get him, mocked Russian Security Council Deputy Chair Dmitry Medvedev.

When will Durov be released? Investigators extended Durov’s detention beyond Sunday night but have not set a public release date, according to the French news outlet France24. The initial detention period for questioning can last up to 96 hours, meaning Durov may be freed as early as Tuesday if he is not officially under arrest.

What has Telegram said? Telegram abides by European Union laws and moderates user content within industry standards, the platform wrote on Sunday. Almost a billion people use Telegram globally and it’s absurd to blame a platform or its owner for abuse of that platform, the statement continued. Durov has nothing to hide and Telegram is waiting for a prompt resolution of this situation, the statement concluded.

What has the French government said? There’s false information circulating online after Durov’s arrest, according to Macron. France is attached to freedom of expression more than anything and will remain so, but free expression online is set within a legal framework as it is in real life, he continued. The justice system must independently ensure that expression laws are respected, Macron said, adding that Durov’s detention has no political motivations.

Dig deeper: Read Leo Briceno’s report on the congressional debate between free speech and national security in discussions on restricting the China-based social media platform TikTok.