“I read false information about France here.” Faced with the intense controversy caused by the arrest of Pavel Durov, President Emmanuel Macron spoke on X. “The arrest of the Telegram president on French territory took place as part of an ongoing judicial investigation. This is in no way a political decision. It is up to the judges to decide.” Pavel Durov is suspected of complicity in several acts – fraud, drug trafficking, sale of child pornography, criminal transactions, etc. Also in the sights of the justice system is Telegram’s lack of cooperation when the authorities ask it for data relating to users committing these types of crimes and offenses on its platform.
A disgrace, say Pavel Durov’s supporters, including Elon Musk and Edward Snowden. The Russian authorities were also upset by this arrest – they are definitely not afraid of ridicule given the fierce repression they are carrying out on their soil. An affair that highlights the very political influence that Telegram has acquired in recent years. Interview with Julien Nocetti, associate researcher at the French Institute of International Relations (Ifri), specialist in the Russian Internet and digital diplomacy.
L’Express: Is it surprising that France arrested Telegram boss Pavel Durov?
Julien Nocetti: It is, without being so. In the current French political context, in the absence of a government, it is a little strange indeed to arrest such an important person in this sensitive industry. Telegram has more than 900 million users and is involved in several international crises and conflicts. However, the messaging service is in the sights of regulators and authorities in several countries: France, Germany, the United Kingdom, etc. Since its inception, it has been prized by terrorist groups, particularly jihadists, to raise funds and spread propaganda.
Telegram is clearly different from WhatsApp, even if the latter also harbors illicit uses. The tool created by Pavel Durov is much more than an encrypted instant messenger, it is also a social network and a marketplace. On this platform, groups can accommodate a much higher number of people than WhatsApp or Signal, which allows for massive influence operations. The French authorities have been studying it closely for more than ten years, their approach is informed.
The app was seen as a bastion of resistance to the Kremlin. However, Russian authorities do not seem to be happy about Pavel Durov’s arrest. Are they worried?
Russia’s position on Telegram is ambiguous. Pavel Durov has always indicated that he resisted pressure from Russian services wanting to decrypt the contents of the messaging service. However, we are not absolutely certain of this. Since the war in Ukraine, the standoff between the Kremlin and Telegram over encryption keys has ceased anyway. At the beginning of the invasion, when the authorities’ speech on TV and in the traditional media was laconic, the application was a major information channel, a showcase of freedom for the Russian population. But Telegram is now widely used by top Russian officials and their advisers. It has also become a major communication tool for the Russian army. There are many message loops created by virulent nationalist bloggers.
All this feeds an information ecosystem that generally supports the vision of power. The Kremlin also uses the platform, in a very deliberate manner, to spread its story in French-speaking sub-Saharan Africa. Here again, a galaxy of loops created by the Wagner spheres aims to destabilize French interests in Africa. The arrest of Pavel Durov does not therefore please the Kremlin. The official Russian media have also broadcast many anxiety-provoking stories on this subject. The Kremlin suggests that Telegram will become “the NATO application”, that its military operations in Ukraine will be “compromised”. The axis is always the same: that of the besieged fortress. Edward Snowden has taken up this Russian narrative, accusing France and the West more broadly of practicing state censorship.
In which countries is Telegram most popular? Do Ukrainians still use it a lot?
While the messenger is only moderately used in the EU, it is extremely popular in the post-Soviet space and in India. Telegram is also of interest in the Arab world and Africa. In Ukraine, part of the population still uses the messenger, but the armed forces that used it at the beginning of the war have switched their communications to Signal.
What are the issues with Telegram? Are they different from those with other messengers?
Terrorist content, pedocriminal content, drug sales… Many activities on Telegram can legitimately attract the attention of the authorities. And the platform’s lack of cooperation on these subjects is undoubtedly targeted. What is surprising is that for several years, Paris and Brussels have been playing the good cop and bad cop role. The former rolled out the red carpet for international tech bosses, while the latter stood firm as a strict regulator. Here it is the opposite. Paris is taking a very strong measure, a physical arrest.
This has not failed to be exploited by thealt-right American, starting with Elon Musk who, without any real surprise, is hystericizing the debate. Let us note in passing that Elon Musk, so vocal about the supposed failings of France, is much less so about the digital repressions in China, where he has major business interests.
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