Telegram Founder Pavel Durov Arrested at Paris Airport
French authorities detain Russian-French billionaire at Le Bourget Airport
Durov's arrest comes amid Telegram's legal battle with French media regulator
French authorities have detained Telegram founder Pavel Durov at an airport outside of Paris, according to local media reports.
Durov, a Russian-French billionaire, was arrested on Saturday evening after his private jet landed at Le Bourget Airport, TF1 TV and BFM TV reported.
The arrest comes amid Telegram's ongoing legal battle with French media regulator, the Superior Audiovisual Council (CSA), over the platform's refusal to remove certain content.
Telegram is a popular messaging app with over 500 million active users worldwide.
Durov, a vocal critic of government censorship, has previously stated that he will not comply with the CSA's demands to remove content from Telegram.
The CSA has fined Telegram €100,000 ($108,000) for failing to comply with its orders.
Telegram has appealed the fine and the case is currently pending in court.
It is unclear what charges Durov is facing or how long he will be detained.
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