Details emerge on Pavel Durov's last-minute flight changes before his detention in France, possibly linked to the surge in pirated football broadcasts on Telegram
Intriguing details have emerged regarding the detention of Telegram founder Pavel Durov in France. According to recent reports, Durov may have been aware of the impending arrest upon his arrival at Paris Le Bourget airport.
Flight data from Flightradar24 reveals that the Embraer Legacy jet, which Durov was using to travel from Baku, suddenly altered its flight path while over the French city of Reims.
Originally scheduled to land in Paris, the jet made an unexpected turn southward, deviating from its course just 20 minutes before the scheduled landing. However, five minutes later, the aircraft returned to its original flight path, heading toward Paris Le Bourget.
Speculations have arisen that the French authorities and air traffic controllers may have intervened, possibly forcing the pilots to resume the flight to Paris. Another theory suggests that the Embraer might not have had enough fuel to leave French airspace.
Adding another layer to this unfolding story, reports indicate that the French Professional Football League and Ligue 1 had publicly complained just hours before Durov's detention about the rising popularity of pirated football broadcasts on Telegram.
On August 16, more than 200,000 viewers reportedly watched the Le Havre vs. PSG match (1:4) on the messaging platform, where it was illegally streamed.
This sharp increase in piracy has become a significant concern for national broadcasters and the sports associations, leading them to push for stringent measures to curb these violations.
Herve Le Maire, head of LeakID, a firm specializing in the copyright protection of sports competitions, highlighted the urgency of addressing this issue at the European level, stressing that “This is a big problem that affects all sports at the European level, and it needs to be quickly resolved by the copyright holders and the authorities.”
He further added that “Piracy means a significant loss of turnover for national broadcasters and, consequently, for the association itself and clubs, and said it was ready to use 'all available means' to prevent the spread of pirated broadcasts.”
The situation raises questions about whether Durov's sudden flight maneuvers and subsequent detention were connected to these allegations of piracy, with the French authorities possibly taking decisive action to address the growing concerns over copyright violations on Telegram.
