The recent arrest of Telegram’s founder and CEO, Pavel Durov, in France has had an unexpected impact on the app’s traction and ranking across global app stores.
Durov was detained on Saturday amid allegations that Telegram allowed illegal activities to flourish on its platform by failing to adequately moderate messages. These accusations focus on serious issues like drug trafficking, money laundering, and the distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Despite these concerns, Telegram has experienced a surge in downloads, pushing it to the No. 2 spot on the U.S. App Store’s Social Networking charts and boosting its global iOS downloads by 4% so far.
Interestingly, Telegram’s rise in rankings did not occur immediately following Durov’s arrest. This delayed response might be attributed to users catching up on weekend news or the slight lag in third-party app store intelligence in tracking ranking shifts.
App intelligence firm Appfigures reports that Telegram didn’t ascend to the No. 2 position on the U.S. Social Networking charts until 3 a.m. EST on Monday, suggesting that the app’s download spike is only just beginning. However, this momentum may be fleeting; by the time of publication, Telegram had already slipped to No. 3 in the U.S. Social Networking category.
In France, where Durov’s detention took place, the app’s popularity soared. Telegram shot up to No. 1 in the Social Networking category on the French App Store and claimed the No. 3 spot overall among top apps.
On the broader U.S. top apps chart, which excludes games, Telegram climbed from No. 18 to No. 8, a significant jump of 10 positions since Friday. According to Appfigures, this marks Telegram’s highest U.S. ranking since at least January 1, 2023.
Apple’s App Store rankings typically reflect a blend of metrics, including the number of app installs and the velocity of downloads, among other factors.
The saying “any press is good press” seems to hold true for Telegram, as the app’s visibility on the App Store has increased, driven by users downloading the app out of curiosity or in support of Durov’s stance on “free speech.”
A separate analysis from market intelligence firm Sensor Tower corroborates this trend, showing a 4% day-over-day increase in Telegram’s global iOS downloads as of Sunday.
French President Emmanuel Macron weighed in on the arrest, stating that it was part of an “ongoing judicial investigation” and that the final decision would be in the hands of the judiciary. Macron emphasized that the arrest was not politically motivated.
In response to some of the misinformation circulating after Durov’s arrest, Macron reaffirmed France’s commitment to freedom of expression, innovation, and entrepreneurship. These principles, he assured, remain central to the nation’s values.
