The recent arrest of Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov in France is having an impact on the app’s performance and ranking.
Durov was arrested due to allegations of allowing illegal activities on the social app, particularly related to drug trafficking, money laundering, and the distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), by not moderating messages effectively. Despite these concerns, Telegram has experienced a surge in downloads, elevating it to the No. 2 position on the U.S. App Store’s Social Networking charts and increasing global iOS downloads by 4%.
The rise in Telegram’s downloads did not immediately follow Durov’s arrest. This delay could be attributed to people catching up on news over the weekend or a slight delay in third-party app store intelligence picking up ranking changes.
App intelligence firm Appfigures reported that Telegram reached the No. 2 spot on the U.S. App Store’s Social Networking charts at 3 AM EST on Monday, signaling the beginning of the app’s upward trend. However, the app had dropped to No. 3 by the time of publication.
In France, where Durov was detained, Telegram quickly rose to No. 1 in the Social Networking category and became the third most popular app overall.
Telegram’s position on the top apps chart rose from No. 18 to No. 8 in the U.S., marking an increase of 10 positions since Friday. This is the app’s highest ranking since at least January 1, 2023, according to AppFigures.
Despite the fluctuations in ranking, Apple’s App Store metrics for ranking consider factors like app installs and download velocity.
The saying “any press is good press” seems to hold true in Telegram’s case, as curiosity and support for Durov’s free speech ideals have driven increased app downloads and visibility on the App Store.
According to market intelligence firm Sensor Tower, Telegram’s global iOS downloads have risen by 4% day-over-day as of Sunday.
French President Emmanuel Macron clarified that the arrest was part of an ongoing judicial investigation and emphasized that it was not a political decision.
