Telegram CEO banned from leaving France and placed under formal investigation
French authorities have banned Telegram co-founder Pavel Durov from leaving the country and have issued preliminary charges over alleged criminal activity on his messaging app.
Durov was detained at an airport outside of Paris as part of a sweeping investigation and was later released after four days of questioning.
Investigative judges filed preliminary charges when on Wednesday, ordering him to pay €5 million euros (£4.2 million) bail and report to a police station twice a week.The allegations against Russian-born Durov, a French citizen, include that his platform is being used for child sexual abuse and drug trafficking.
It also includes allegations that Telegram refused to share information or documents with investigators when required by law.
His arrest has caused outrage in Russia, with some government officials calling it politically motivated and accused the West of a double standard on freedom of speech.
The outcry has raised eyebrows among Kremlin critics because in 2018, Russian authorities themselves tried to block the Telegram app but failed, withdrawing the ban in 2020.
French President Emmanuel Macron said Monday that Durov's arrest wasn’t a political move but part of an independent investigation.
Macron posted on X that his country “is deeply committed” to freedom of expression but “freedoms are upheld within a legal framework, both on social media and in real life, to protect citizens and respect their fundamental rights”.
In a statement posted on its platform after Durov's arrest, Telegram said it abides by EU laws, and its moderation is “within industry standards and constantly improving”.
In addition to Russia and France, Durov is also a citizen of the United Arab Emirates and the Caribbean island nation of St. Kitts and Nevis.The UAE Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that it was "closely following the case" and had asked France to provide Durov "with all the necessary consular services in an urgent manner”.Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he hoped that Durov “has all the necessary opportunities for his legal defence”, adding that Moscow stands “ready to provide all necessary assistance and support” to the Telegram CEO as a Russian citizen.“But the situation is complicated by the fact that he is also a citizen of France,” Peskov said.
Subscribe free to our weekly newsletter for exclusive and original coverage from ITV News. Direct to your inbox every Friday morning.
Telegram was founded by Durov and his brother after he himself faced pressure from Russian authorities.In 2013, he sold his stake in VKontakte, a popular Russian social networking site which he launched in 2006.The company came under pressure during the Russian government’s crackdown following mass pro-democracy protests that rocked Moscow at the end of 2011 and 2012.Durov had said authorities demanded that the site take down online communities of Russian opposition activists, and later that it hand over personal data of users who took part in the 2013-2014 popular uprising in Ukraine, which eventually ousted a pro-Kremlin president.
In a recent interview, Durov said that he had turned down these demands and left the country.The demonstrations prompted Russian authorities to clamp down on the digital space, and Telegram and its pro-privacy rhetoric offered a convenient way for Russians to communicate and share news.Telegram also continues to be a popular source of news in Ukraine, where both media outlets and officials use it to share information on the war, and deliver missile and air raid alerts.Western governments have often criticised Telegram for a lack of content moderation, which experts say opens up the messaging app for potential use in money laundering, drug trafficking and the sharing of material linked to the sexual exploitation of minors.In 2022, Germany issued fines of $5 million (around £3.8 million) against Telegram’s operators for failing to establish a lawful way to reporting illegal content or to name an entity in Germany to receive official communication. Both are required under German laws that regulate large online platforms.
Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know…