Telegram chief government Pavel Durov has been arrested by French police at an airport north of Paris.
Mr Durov was detained after his personal jet had landed at Le Bourget Airport, French media reported.
In keeping with officers the 39-year-old had been arrested below a warrant for offences associated to the favored messaging app.
Russia’s embassy in France is taking “speedy steps” to make clear the state of affairs, in response to Russia’s TASS state information company.
Durov had been travelling on his personal jet, French TV channel TF1 mentioned on its web site.
Telegram is especially well-liked in Russia, Ukraine and former Soviet Union states.
The app was banned in Russia in 2018, after a earlier refusal by Mr Durov handy over consumer information.
However the ban was reversed in 2021.
Telegram is ranked as one of the major social media platforms after Fb, YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok and Wechat.
Mr Durov based Telegram in 2013 and he left Russia in 2014 after refusing to comply with government demands to close down opposition communities on his VKontakte social media platform, which he offered.