logo
episode-header-image
Aug 2024
26m 35s

Telegram’s nightmare week

Bbc World Service
About this episode

Telegram CEO, Pavel Durov, is under investigation over criminal activity on the messaging app. He spent four days in detention after being arrested when arriving in France and is now barred from leaving the country.

Sumi Somaskanda speaks to the BBC's Cyber Correspondent, Joe Tidy about what Durov's arrest means for Telegram. And what it signals about future moderation on social media platforms... and the limits of free speech.

The Global Story brings you trusted insights from BBC journalists worldwide. We want your ideas, stories and experiences to help us understand and tell #TheGlobalStory. Email us at theglobalstory@bbc.com You can also message us or leave a voice note via WhatsApp on +44 330 123 9480.

Producers: Richard Moran and Alix Pickles.

Sound Engineer: Stephen Bailey.

Assistant Editor: Sergi Forcada Freixas.

Senior Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith.

Up next
Nov 21
Is there a genocide of white South Africans as Trump claims?
<p>The US is essentially boycotting this weekend’s G20 summit in South Africa over accusations that the white Afrikaners are ‘being killed and slaughtered’ and that white farmers are having their land ‘illegally confiscated. The South African government say the claims are "widely ... Show More
31m 37s
Nov 20
What is Sudan’s war really about?
<p>** This episode contains some very distressing details, including of killings, sexual violence and the experiences of children in war** </p><p>More than 150,000 people have been killed and about 12 million have been forced from their homes since Sudan's civil war began in 2023 ... Show More
26m 37s
Nov 19
The oil lobbyist who tried to sink the first big climate deal
<p>The American lawyer, oil lobbyist and master strategist Don Pearlman is said to have chain-smoked his way through almost every UN climate gathering from the early 1990s until his death in 2005. </p><p>Some of those who saw Pearlman operate in Kyoto, where the first legally bin ... Show More
26m 38s
Recommended Episodes
Sep 2024
How Telegram Became the Underworld’s Favorite App
<p>A Times investigation has found that Telegram, one of the world’s biggest messaging apps, with nearly a billion users, is also a giant black market and gathering place for the likes of terrorists and white supremacists.</p><p>Adam Satariano, a technology reporter for The Times ... Show More
25m 45s
Mar 2024
Bonus: Evan Gershkovich - a year since my friend was jailed in Russia
The Wall Street Journal reporter, who is the first US journalist charged with spying in Russia since the Cold War, has now been imprisoned for a year. His detention has been repeatedly extended and he is yet to face trial. His family, colleagues and the US government vehemently d ... Show More
24m 27s
Aug 2024
Billionaire Telegram CEO charged in criminal investigation
On Wednesday, Telegram founder Pavel Durov was charged in France with a wide range of crimes related to illicit activity on the app. His detainment is part of an ongoing investigation by French authorities into the social media app.  Telegram, with its more than 900 million users ... Show More
27m 52s
Jan 2025
Musk, Zuckerberg and Free Speech
The billionaire owner of X has made misleading claims about Keir Starmer’s handling of the grooming gangs scandal and Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg has announced the end of independent fact-checking on Meta’s platforms in the US. The move comes as Zuckerberg and other tech executives ... Show More
49m 22s
Dec 2023
BBC investigation: Russian soldiers treated like ‘meat’
A new investigation by BBC Eye, using just open source material and social media posts, follows the journey of a young Russian solider - from his conscription and training to his disappearance on the bloody Ukrainian front-line. Journalist Ned Davies reveals how they produced the ... Show More
28m 29s
Nov 10
Trump Threatens To Sue BBC For One Billion Dollars
Today, President Trump has threatened to sue the BBC for $1bn. In a latter to the corporation Trump’s legal team demands the BBC “immediately retract” a Panorama programme which edited a speech he made calling it “false and defamatory”.It comes as BBC chair Samir Shah apologised ... Show More
32m 14s
Nov 11
Will We See Trump V BBC In Court?
Today, will the BBC actually end up in court against President Trump?Where would a potential lawsuit by President Trump against the BBC take place? Is $1 billion dollars a realistic figure? What are the calculations both sides are making? Adam discusses with BBC home and legal co ... Show More
36m 53s
Apr 2025
How the ‘world’s coolest dictator’ is helping Trump
Justin and Sumi take a closer look into the deepening relationship between Donald Trump and El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele, as the row over the deportation of migrants to the Central American country escalates.Could the Trump administration run into further trouble with the ... Show More
35m 22s