Telegram chief blames ‘growing pains’ in first post since arrest

Durov made clear he believes his detention in France was an overreach, arguing that governments should take “legal action against the service itself,” rather than hold executives personally responsible

Telegram co-founder Pavel Durov (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana, File)

Telegram Chief Executive Officer Pavel Durov defended the encrypted messaging app in his first public comments since being arrested in Paris last month, while acknowledging “growing pains” from a rapid expansion to 950 million users and promising to tackle criminal abuse.

The social media billionaire was charged in France last week for failing to stop the spread of illicit content on the app, including child sex abuse material and drug sales. Telegram has frequently drawn criticism from governments including the European Union and authoritarian regimes in Russia and Iran over content on the platform, which has become a gathering place for conspiracy theorists and extremists.