Telegram messaging app CEO Durov arrested in France

Pavel Durov, the Russian-French billionaire and Telegram founder, was arrested Saturday evening around 8:00 p.m. (1800 GMT) at Bourget Airport near Paris. Durov, who was traveling from Azerbaijan, was detained due to an arrest warrant tied to a French police investigation. The arrest plunged Toncoin (TON) 13%.

Authorities are probing Telegram’s alleged lack of moderation, which they claim has allowed criminal activities to flourish. The platform’s growing popularity has drawn the attention of several European countries, including France, over security concerns.

Durov will probably face 20 years in prison. He is expected to appear before a judge tonight, with potential charges looming on Sunday.

🔗 TF1 | Reuters
🧑‍💻 @agamtechtricks

Happy 33rd Birthday, Linux! 🎉

Today is August 25th, which means that Linux turns 33 years old! 💃

On August 25th, 1991, Linus Benedict Torvalds, then a 21-year-old Finnish student, made an announcement on the comp.os.minix newsgroup. He mentioned that he was working on a free operating system for 386(486) AT clones—just as a "hobby," which turned into something huge, used by millions of computer users around the globe.

Hello everybody out there using minix –
I’m doing a (free) operating system (just a hobby, won’t be big and professional like gnu) for 386(486) AT clones. This has been brewing since april, and is starting to get ready. I’d like any feedback on things people like/dislike in minix, as my OS resembles it somewhat (same physical layout of the file-system (due to practical reasons) among other things).
I’ve currently ported bash(1.08) and gcc(1.40), and things seem to work. This implies that I’ll get something practical within a few months, and I’d like to know what features most people would want. Any suggestions are welcome, but I won’t promise I’ll implement them
Linus
PS. Yes – it’s free of any minix code, and it has a multi-threaded fs. It is NOT portable (uses 386 task switching etc), and it probably never will support anything other than AT-harddisks, as that’s all I have :-(.

🧑‍💻 @agamtechtricks

Telegram being investigated in India, could face a ban

The Indian government is currently investigating Telegram for involvement in criminal activities such as extortion and gambling. This comes after Pavel Durov got arrested.

The investigation, led by the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, is particularly focused on Telegram's peer-to-peer communications and its connection to illegal activities, including the UGC-NEET paper leak. Depending on the findings of this probe, Telegram could face a ban in the country.

Telegram is facing difficulties because they have no presence in India, which makes it challenging to investigate for the authorities. Although the platform is compliant with the IT rules, it has come under scrutiny for allowing criminal activities to go unchecked.

🔗 Money Control
🧑‍💻 @agamtechtricks

Airtel teams with Apple for streaming deals in India, closes Wynk Music app

Airtel has entered into a strategic partnership with Apple, integrating Apple TV+ and Apple Music services into its offerings for high-tier customers. As part of this move, Airtel will be discontinuing its Wynk Music platform. The new changes will go live later this year.

• Premium Airtel broadband and postpaid subscribers will now enjoy access to Apple’s services as part of their plans.
• Wynk Premium subscribers will receive exclusive offers from Airtel for Apple services.

Wynk Music employees will be moved to other parts of the Airtel business.

🔗 TechCrunch
🧑‍💻 @agamtechtricks

Microsoft isn’t removing the Control Panel from Windows anytime soon

Rumors about Microsoft removing the Control Panel from Windows soon are exaggerated. Reports of its deprecation arose after a support document mentioned that it is in the process of being deprecated.

However, Microsoft clarified that while they are gradually moving settings to the Settings app, the Control Panel isn’t going away anytime soon.

Microsoft hasn’t added it to the list of deprecated Windows features as well.

🌐 @tomwarren
🔗 The Verge

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UPDATE: Pavel Durov transferred from police custody to court after arrest in France

Pavel Durov has been released from police custody in France and transferred to court for questioning ahead of a possible indictment, days after his dramatic arrest at a Paris airport.

Pavel Durov exited the anti-fraud office outside Paris in what appeared to be a police vehicle. The Paris prosecutor’s office said he would now face “initial questioning and possible indictment” at a court in Paris.

Following the release of Pavel Durov, Toncoin has reacted with 7% growth.

🔗 CNN
🧑‍💻 @agamtechtricks

UPDATE: Telegram CEO Pavel Durov charged by French prosecutors and must remain in France

Pavel Durov has been accused of participating in organized criminal activities, money laundering, and refusing to provide data upon the authorities' request.

As a result of these charges, Durov is now under judicial supervision: he is prohibited from leaving France and must post a bail of 5 million euros ($5.6 million). He will be released on bail but will be required to report to a police station in person twice a week.

The list of charges includes six crimes:

• Conspiracy to manage an online platform used for illegal transactions as part of an organized group - carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of 500,000 euros ($555,750);
• Refusal to provide information or documents requested by authorized bodies necessary for lawful wiretapping;
• Complicity in crimes by allowing Telegram access to users involved in distributing child pornography, trafficking drugs, fraud, and other criminal activities;
• Money laundering resulting from crimes or offenses as part of an organized group;
• Providing cryptographic services without proper declaration;
• Importing cryptographic tools to ensure confidentiality without prior declaration.

ℹ️ Credits: @tginfoen
🔗 Novaya Gazeta Europe

🧑‍💻 @agamtechtricks

Indonesia May Ban Bigo Live and Telegram Over Porn and Gambling Allegations

Indonesia is considering blocking Bigo Live and Telegram due to their alleged involvement in spreading pornography and promoting online gambling.

Communication and Informatics Minister Budi Arie Setiadi revealed that the Ministry has already issued strong warnings to both platforms. However, the responses from Telegram and Bigo Live have been inadequate.

I would prefer to shut down Bigo Live and Telegram immediately, but a team needs to conduct further studies first. We act based on evidence collected by our team. If we find evidence of pornography or gambling promotion, we will proceed with blocking the platforms.

- Budi Arie

🔗 Jakarta Globe
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