Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of the messaging app Telegram, was recently indicted in France and placed under judicial supervision following his court appearance. Durov faces multiple criminal charges stemming from his role at Telegram, and as part of the conditions for his release, he was required to post a 5 million euro bail. The arrest was made at a Paris airport on August 24, and after several days in custody, Durov was brought to court.
According to a Bloomberg report on August 28, French prosecutors have charged Durov with several offenses, including complicity in illegal activities, refusal to cooperate with authorities, money laundering, and operating without a proper license for cryptology services. This action follows a judicial investigation initiated in July under a generic warrant.
“Free speech allegations Many of Durov’s defenders have criticized French authorities for taking the Telegram CEO into custody, claiming the move represented an attack on freedom of expression.”
The charges link Durov to severe allegations of facilitating the spread of child pornography and other illicit activities via Telegram. Additional unrelated charges of child abuse are also reportedly being brought against him in Switzerland.
“French President Emmanuel Macron denied Durov’s arrest was politically motivated, but many questions still seem to linger after four days.”
With Telegram boasting over 900 million monthly users as of 2024, the outcome of this case could potentially influence how legal responsibilities are assigned to leaders of other major social media platforms, like Mark Zuckerberg or Elon Musk.