The CEO of the instant messaging platform frequently visits Russia, sparking controversy and is suspected of being arrested for inadequate regulation.

Recently, a report from an independent news agency has drawn widespread attention. The report states that the co-founder and CEO of a certain instant messaging platform made multiple trips to Russia between 2015 and 2021, with the number exceeding 50. This information comes from leaked data from a Russian intelligence agency, detailing the executive's travel records. It is reported that this data was leaked around August 20 and was hidden again a few days later. The news agency stated that they partially verified the authenticity of this data through communication with investigators affiliated with a certain opposition leader.

Reports indicate that this executive did not deliberately conceal his travels. He frequently takes commercial flights between Saint Petersburg, Russia, and various cities in Europe, and sometimes travels by train from Russia to Helsinki, Finland. This executive was born in Russia and co-founded a Russian social networking company in 2006. In 2014, he resigned as CEO after refusing to disclose the personal information of Ukrainian protesters to a Russian agency and sold his 12% stake.

In April 2014, this executive left Russia. His only public visit to Russia was in the autumn of 2014, when he briefly returned home for a few days to sell his data center company. From 2015 to 2017 and from 2020 to 2021, he traveled to Russia multiple times. The only period he did not visit Russia was from 2018 to 2020. However, in an interview this April, this executive claimed he would not go to places that do not align with his company's values, including Russia.

It is worth noting that the executive was arrested in France on August 24. He is accused of failing to adequately oversee illegal activities on his communication platform, with French authorities claiming that the platform was used for drug trafficking, fraud, and organized crime. This incident has sparked widespread discussion about the responsibilities of tech companies and privacy protection.