Telegram soared in iOS app rankings after Pavel Durov’s arrest

In France, Telegram ranked first in App Store downloads in the Social Networks category and ranked third in the overall app ranking.

In the United States, Messenger first appeared in second place and then fell to third place on the list of social networks. Over the course of Saturday and Sunday, it rose from 18th to 8th place among the best apps in the App Store, excluding games. According to Appfigures, this is Telegram’s highest rating on the platform since January 1, 2023.

By July 2024, Telegram’s monthly audience reached 950 million people. This is 50 million more than in the spring. By the end of 2024, the messenger plans to increase it to 1 billion.

• Pavel Durov was arrested on 24 August at Paris airport, where he was flying from Baku. The next day, his detention was extended until 28 August.
• The case against the businessman was opened on July 8 and contains charges of 12 crimes against an “unidentified person.”
• As a French police spokesman told Reuters, the founder of Telegram is accused of refusing to cooperate in cyber and financial crimes on the messenger.
• French President Emmanuel Macron also made a statement that became the first official confirmation of the Telegram founder’s arrest. He said the decision was not political and that the arrest took place “as part of an ongoing judicial investigation.”
• Experts interviewed by RB.RU described Durov’s arrest as “local lawlessness” and spoke of a deteriorating investment climate.