Telegram becomes free speech flashpoint after founder’s arrest

Telegram, founded in 2013 by Russian entrepreneur Pavel Durov, has grown into one of the world’s largest online communication tools and is central to everyday life in countries including Russia, Ukraine and India for messaging, getting independent news and exchanging views.

The company’s growth — it now has more than 900 million users — has been driven partly by a commitment to free speech. Telegram’s light oversight of what people say or do on the platform has helped people living under authoritarian governments communicate and organize. But it has also made the app a haven for disinformation, far-right extremism and other harmful content.