Durov Arrest Spurs Telegram App Downloads

The arrest of Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov in France is beginning to influence the app’s user engagement and position in rankings

The founder was apprehended on Saturday for allegedly failing to adequately moderate messages, notably in areas involving drug trafficking, money laundering, and the distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), thereby enabling illegal activity to flourish on the social app.

Telegram is presently experiencing a surge in downloads, which has propelled it to the second spot on the U.S. App Store’s Social Networking charts and increased its global iOS downloads by 4%. This is despite the concerns raised regarding the app’s content.

The lifting of Telegram did not occur promptly following Durov’s arrest.

This could be because many individuals only became aware of the news when reviewing headlines they had overlooked over the weekend or because third-party sources for app store intelligence are slightly delayed in detecting ranking changes.

Telegram did not ascend to the second position on the Social Networking rankings on the U.S. App Store until 3 a.m. EST on Monday, according to Appfigures, an App Intelligence firm.

This suggests that the app is only now beginning to experience a boost in popularity. For example, the app had already fallen to No. 3 in Social in the United States as of publication, suggesting that the increase may be temporary.

Nevertheless, the application achieved the top spot in the social networking category on the program store and was the third-best overall program in France, where Durov was apprehended.

Telegram’s ranking in the top applications chart (excluding games) has increased by ten positions since Friday, from 18 to 8 in the United States. This is the highest ranking it has achieved in this location since at least January 1, 2023, according to Appfigures.

In general, Apple’s App Store rankings are influenced by various metrics, including the number of app installations and download velocity, among other factors.

However, the adage that “any press is good press” apparently holds regarding Telegram’s visibility on the App Store. The app’s rankings increased as users downloaded it out of curiosity or to support the founder’s ideals regarding “free speech.”

As of Sunday, Telegram’s global installations on iOS have already experienced a 4% increase in day-over-day growth, according to a separate analysis conducted by market intelligence firm Sensor Tower.

On Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron stated that the detention resulted from an “ongoing judicial investigation” and that the judges would make the decision, not political,” he said.