Several French government websites have been taken offline due to a denial-of-service (DDoS) attack reportedly connected to different hacker groups in retaliation for Telegram founder Pavel Durov’s arrest on the weekend.
The 39-year-old exec was taken into custody under an arrest warrant alleging that his platform has been involved in money laundering, drug trafficking, and other crimes, including terrorism support. No formal charges have been brought against him as yet.
DDoS Attacks on French Websites
Cybersecurity expert Clément Domingo, known as SaxX, shared details about ten websites hit by DDoS attacks under ‘opDurov.’ He included screenshots showing four sites, such as the French government’s public services site, La Voix du Nord newspaper, the National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products (ANSM), and the French agricultural union Confédération Paysanne, being disrupted.
SaxX noted that the attacks seemed to involve only DDoS disruptions, not data breaches or ransomware.
While a collective of Russian-speaking hackers, such as the Russian Army Cyber Team, reportedly claimed responsibility for a portion of the attacks, Malaysia-based pro-Palestinian hacker group RipperSec also allegedly joined the effort, launching attacks on multiple French universities and educational institutions.
Durov flew from Azerbaijan to France on August 24, landing at Le Bourget airport north of Paris in a private jet, where he was arrested by authorities. French prosecutors provided an update on August 26, stating that Durov could be held by law enforcement until August 28 for questioning in connection with crimes allegedly committed by an “unnamed person” using the platform.
As of August 27, no formal charges had been brought against him, and no legal wrongdoing had been established.
Durov’s arrest has attracted significant backlash, with many slamming French authorities. Tech leaders such as Tesla Chief Elon Musk, Ethereum’s Vitalik Buterin, and former VanEck director for digital asset strategy Gabor Gurbacs, among others, condemned the arrest, deeming the move an assault on the basic human rights of speech and association.
Macron on Durov Arrest
Addressing what he considered to be “misinformation” spreading on X about alleged violations of free expression, French President Emmanuel Macron clarified that Durov’s arrest on local soil was part of an ongoing judicial investigation.
He even stressed that it was not a political decision but rather a matter for the judiciary to handle independently.
“In a state governed by the rule of law, freedoms are upheld within a legal framework, both on social media and in real life, to protect citizens and respect their fundamental rights. It is up to the judiciary, in full independence, to enforce the law. The arrest of the president of Telegram on French soil took place as part of an ongoing judicial investigation. It is in no way a political decision. It is up to the judges to rule on the matter.”
