Pavel Durov, the man behind Telegram, has just left police custody in France today, August 28, 2024. He was held for four days after being arrested at Le Bourget Airport, just outside Paris.

Why? French authorities have been investigating some pretty serious allegations against Telegram, including using the platform for some nasty stuff: child sexual abuse material, drug trafficking, fraud and organised crime.

French law allows police to hold someone for up to 96 hours, and that's exactly what they did with Pavel. They even extended the deadline a little further, giving themselves an extra 48 hours on August 26 to decide whether to charge him or release him.

In this case, they were really biding their time. Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron was busy trying to put out fires. He insisted that the arrest was not political revenge, but part of an independent legal process.

Macron was keen to emphasise France's commitment to freedom of expression, provided it is within the bounds of the law. He wanted to make clear that this was not a personal attack on Pavel or an attempt to take down Telegram.