Dubai/Paris: Pavel Durov, the enigmatic founder and chief executive of Telegram, announced the removal of a substantial amount of “problematic content” from the messaging platform following legal pressure in France. This statement comes weeks after his high-profile arrest at Le Bourget airport near Paris, where he faced charges for failing to curb illegal activities on the app.
Addressing his 13 million subscribers on his personal Telegram channel, Durov acknowledged that the platform’s search feature had been exploited by individuals selling illegal goods, violating the platform’s terms of service. “Over the past few weeks, we’ve used artificial intelligence to thoroughly comb through Telegram and ensure all the problematic content we identified in Search is no longer accessible,” Durov said.
This announcement follows increasing scrutiny of Telegram’s role in facilitating criminal activities, with critics alleging that the platform has failed to effectively moderate extremist content. In response, Durov pledged to enhance Telegram’s oversight, sharing that the company had updated its terms of service and privacy policy to cooperate with legal authorities. “We won’t let bad actors jeopardize the integrity of our platform for almost a billion users,” he emphasized.
Durov, who holds Russian, French, and UAE citizenships, was arrested on August 24 and charged with failing to address extremist and terrorist content on Telegram. Although he was released on a €5 million ($5.6 million) bail, he must remain in France and report to authorities twice weekly during the investigation.
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While Durov initially criticized his arrest, he has since made significant concessions to French authorities. Earlier this month, he announced updates to Telegram’s “people nearby” feature, pledging to connect users with legitimate businesses rather than scammers and bots. “This year, we are committed to turning moderation on Telegram from an area of criticism into one of praise,” Durov declared.
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Known for his low-profile lifestyle despite an estimated fortune of $15.5 billion, Durov has built a reputation for advocating ascetic living, including ice baths and abstaining from alcohol and caffeine. His latest initiatives to strengthen Telegram’s moderation reflect a shift in approach as the platform navigates increasing regulatory pressure.
