Cryptocurrency markets opened with TON Coin by Telegram are now in the spotlight due to its founder’s arrest. The detention by France is a major concern for privacy rights advocates. The US and EU have long wanted Telegram to share information with them. Russia also pressured Durov for a long time with this demand.
Telegram and Data Privacy
Many platforms share user data with the US and European Union to stay in their good graces. We have seen this in many leaks. Former NSA employee Edward Snowden revealed this as an insider, which got him into trouble. The documentary Citizenfour is very informative for those interested in the topic.
Telegram is one of the platforms that make it difficult for governments to easily obtain user data upon request. That’s why Durov did not live in his home country, Russia. After Russia requested special keys to access user data, Telegram co-founder Durov sent two door keys to the officials. Unaware that these were old keys for room doors, US and EU officials requested the same keys to be sent to them.
This tragicomic event highlights how absurd the situation has become.
Arrest Warrant Issued in March
According to French administrative documents, arrest warrants for the people behind Telegram, which has hundreds of millions of active users, were issued in March 2024. After landing in Paris from Azerbaijan on a private jet, Durov was detained at Le Bourget airport on August 24. This warrant was issued after Telegram refused to cooperate in a previous investigation.
Authorities requested the identification of a Telegram user and for the information to be reported to them. However, they did not receive a response. According to a document seen by Politico, the person whose information was requested was a criminal accused of storing and distributing images of minors.
The arrest warrant mentions that many criminal groups widely use the messaging app. However, such data sharing raises concerns among privacy advocates due to the potential for political or other types of oppression.
Cryptocurrency friendly UAE offered a more comfortable environment for the messaging app, leading to the relocation of its headquarters to their country. However, it was revealed in 2017 that UAE spies had hacked Durov’s phone. So, even though the UAE welcomed him, he remained cautious.
