Last weekend a rather unusual twist happened in the technical community. In France, Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of Telegram, got into trouble. Yes, you heard it here first—Durov was arrested at Le Bourget airport, and as you know, news travels fast! The allegations? – the usual cybercrime stuff: narcotics trafficking, money laundering, and child exploitation materials distribution. Well, you know, things that no company wants to be connected or associated with in any way.
But here is the great twist – this arrest was actually an advantage to Telegram. To the amazement of many, the downloads of the app surged immediately after the detention of Durov made the headlines.
Telegram rose to the second most used and downloaded social networking application in the United States from the App Store and then it dropped to the third position all within a short span of time. In France – where Durov was detained – the app unwaveringly remained at #2. For instance, even in the Play Store, Telegram was ranked among the top ten applications available for download.
Therefore, the question that might arise here is: what spurred this sudden interest in downloads? Let’s break it down.
You’ve Got The Right To Know And Speak
Let’s start with the primitive push of curiosity. For example, after reading or hearing about Durov’s arrest, many people who previously had no idea about the existence of Telegram most likely thought, “What is this Telegram app people are talking about?”
To some, particularly those who hold the virtue of privacy and free speech in high esteem, the arrest made the rounds. In fact, you appreciate such features as Secret Chats, self-destructing messages, and hiding the user’s IP address with the help of a proxy server. For those who believe privacy is something worth dying for, these features have a seductive appeal.
The story according to Telegram
Of course, Telegram is not so passive to watch all these dramas in front of TV screen while doing nothing. In response to the concerns, the company issued a statement stating that it has never violated EU laws and that its moderation policies are in line with industry norms. “Constantly improving,” they say. Looks like something you would hear a ‘life coach’ say, but we’ll take it nonetheless.
Durov himself does not appear to mind one bit; Telegram says it is “absurd to claim that a platform or its owner are responsible for abuse of that platform. ” A strong message, to be sure, but one that has support among those who think the company is being unfairly persecuted.
What awaits Telegram and Durov in the future?
Durov is still in the police custody right now and the investigation is still ongoing. According to Bloomberg, the magistrate overseeing the case has some tough decisions to make: either charge Durov with a crime and arrest him or use him as a witness in a case and release him.
Does it mean that any publicity is good publicity?
It is a well-known slogan that ‘any publicity is good publicity’ and in regard to this case of Telegram, the slogan seems perfectly true. Despite the constant abuse, the app is benefiting from a growing number of downloads.
At the end of the day, whether you’re downloading Telegram out of curiosity, a sense of defiance, or just to be in the know, one thing’s for sure: The media has brought a lot more attention to Telegram than what it ever planned for. And what can be said about Durov? He too realized that, indeed, getting arrested can sometimes do wonders for boosting business.
