The Telegram application reached the Top in terms of downloads after the arrest of Pavel Durov

Telegram rose to second place on the App Store social media chart in the US after its founder was detained in France on charges of involvement in illegal activities. The app is currently experiencing significant growth in downloads.

Image source: techcrunch.com

The arrest of Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov is beginning to have an impact on the app’s popularity and ratings, causing mixed reactions, but at the same time playing into Telegram’s hands by increasing the number of app downloads. The messenger rose to second place in the App Store social networking charts in the United States, and its global downloads on iOS increased by 4%, TechCrunch reported.

According to data from app analytics firm Appfigures, Telegram did not immediately jump to second position on the App Store social networking charts in the United States. This happened just after 3 a.m. ET on Monday, indicating that the app’s rise in popularity is just beginning. In France, where Durov was detained, the application rose to first place in the Social Networks category in the App Store and took third place among all applications.

As a reminder, on Saturday Pavel Durov was detained on charges of allegedly allowing illegal activity to flourish on the social app due to insufficient moderation of messages, especially in areas related to drug trafficking, money laundering and the dissemination of child abuse materials (CSAM). . Despite concerns raised about inappropriate content on the app, the messaging app is currently seeing strong growth in downloads.

French President Emmanuel Macron commented on the situation, saying the arrest was made as part of an “ongoing judicial investigation” and that judges would decide the case. “This is not a political decision in any way,” he said. On his X (Twitter) account, Macron wrote: “I saw false information about France after the arrest of Pavel Durov. However, France is deeply committed to freedom of expression and communication, innovation and the entrepreneurial spirit. It will continue to be so. In a legal state…”