Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov was arrested in France’s Le Bourget airport on August 24, as authorities said he was suspected of failing to act against illegal content on the platform, including drug trafficking and terrorism. Durov was also charged by France’s judiciary for allowing illicit activities on Telegram. However, he avoided jail with a $6 million bail.
In a statement, Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau explained that authorities granted Durov release on condition he reported to a police station in France two times per week and remain in the country. The charges against the Russian-born billionaire include numerous violations on the platform, such as fraud and the exchange of child pornography.
Fraud detectives and French specialists on cybercrime said on social media that his arrest was part of a probe into consistent failures to moderate alleged criminal activities on Telegram. They added that while French authorities respect freedom of speech and expression, some of the acts committed on the messaging app represent a clear violation of France’s and the European Union’s laws.
In a separate statement, the company said that it has abided by the laws of the European bloc over the last few years and that Durov committed no wrongdoing. Telegram also said that its CEO travels “frequently” to numerous European nations and has “nothing to hide.” The company added that French authorities’ claims that the platform and Durov are the main responsible parties for the abuses and illegal acts that some users commit on Telegram are “Absurd.”
Durov, who has French, American, and Emirati citizenship, currently lives in Dubai and has been claiming over the last few years that he has no reason to grant authorities full access to Telegram users’ accounts. He has claimed that the cornerstone of his platform and similar companies in the industry is to prevent monitoring and guarantee free speech. Some reporters revealed on social media that before choosing to live in Dubai, Durov tried to settle in some other countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Singapore, and Germany.
Over the last few years, the messaging app has been monitored by numerous law enforcement agencies around the world because of the use that many criminals make of it. These allegedly include political extremist groups, as well as arms dealers, drug traffickers, and terrorist organizations. Authorities in some Western nations have claimed that these groups use Telegram not only for communication but also for coordination and recruitment.
Durov’s arrest has sparked a massive debate over government censorship and free speech. Political commentators have explained that Durov can be considered a modern version of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, as there’s a large group of people who believe he’s enabling terrorism, while others said he’s nothing more than a free speech advocate who fights against censorship.
