Telegram CEO and founder Pavel Durov responded to the surprise arrest, saying he had “nothing to hide” in a statement posted to the messaging service's official news site.
“Telegram complies with EU laws, including the Digital Services Act – its moderation is within industry standards and is constantly evolving,” he said on Sunday.
Durov was arrested in France late Saturday after arriving from Azerbaijan on a private jet at Lebourg airport outside Paris.
Durov's detention was extended beyond Sunday night by the investigating judge, The Guardian reported. He could be detained for questioning for a maximum of 96 hours, it said.
At the end of this prison term, the judge may choose to release him, charge him, or allow him to spend more time in prison.
France's national anti-fraud office linked Durov to alleged illegal activity reported by various Telegram users, which the service allegedly failed to detect.
“Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has nothing to hide and travels frequently in Europe,” the messaging platform said in its response. It is absurd to say that a platform or its owner are responsible for misuse of that platform.
Around one billion global users regularly use Telegram as a means of communication and as an “important” source of information, he said.
“We are expecting an immediate resolution to this situation.”
The price of Tonocoin (TON)—the token of the Telegram-linked The Open Network—fell significantly following Durov's arrest.
After recovering from a low of $5.25 over the weekend, the ton fell 14% from $6.70 to $5.79 at the opening on Saturday, according to data from CoinGecko.
This is a developing story and will be updated accordingly.
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