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The Guardian - UK

Technology

Pjotr Sauer

‘Internet prophet’: arrest of Telegram CEO could strengthen heroic image

Pavel Durov Telegram VKontakte Emmanuel Macron Mark Zuckerberg Facebook Paris Steve Jobs Russia France

Pavel Durov is photographed on a balcony overlooking part of London in 2016 — A court in Paris has charged Pavel Durov with being complicit in the spread of child sexual abuse images and other alleged violations on messaging app. Photograph: Jude Edginton/Contour

When Pavel Durov came under criticism from Russian regulators over the spread of pornography on the VKontakte social media platform he founded, the tech entrepreneur responded mockingly by changing his Twitter handle from “VK CEO” to “Porn King”.

More than a decade later, Durov’s anti-authoritarian stance and hands-off approach to moderation have landed him in more serious trouble.

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