Pavel Durov, the founder of the popular messaging app Telegram, was recently arrested at a Paris airport. The EU has been cracking down on Telegram, and this arrest is the latest development in a series of actions against the app.

Why the EU is Targeting Telegram

Telegram has faced growing criticism from EU officials. The app’s Russian origins and its strong privacy features have made it a target. Critics argue that Telegram's encryption tools and lack of strict content moderation allow criminal activities to thrive. This has led to increasing pressure from the EU to regulate the platform.

What Happened in the EU

The EU's crackdown on Telegram began to heat up in 2021 when German officials were upset by the app’s handling of anti-vaccine extremists. They wanted a united European approach to deal with Telegram, rather than individual countries acting alone. This idea picked up steam and became a broader effort across the EU.

Over the next few years, the EU’s actions ...