According to a report from the Wall Street Journal published on Wednesday, it was revealed that Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram who received French citizenship in 2021, has had an interesting relationship with the French authorities. In 2018, French President Emmanuel Macron reportedly suggested during a lunch meeting that Durov move the Telegram headquarters from the UAE to Paris. However, Durov declined the proposal. Despite this, in 2021, France granted him citizenship through a simplified procedure. (source)
Furthermore, a year prior to the reported meeting between Macron and Durov, it is alleged that the French and Emirates intelligence services carried out a joint operation to hack Durov’s mobile phone. This action was taken due to concerns that the Islamic State terrorist organization, which is prohibited in Russia, was using Telegram to recruit supporters and plan terrorist attacks.
The Wall Street Journal report also states that a source close to Durov claims that Telegram had been ignoring requests from French courts and law enforcement agencies to remove illegal content and assist in investigations for a significant period of time. However, after Durov’s detention in Telegram, the company announced that they would comply with EU laws, including regulations regarding content moderation. (source)