On Wednesday, August 28th, the Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office announced the initiation of a criminal investigation against Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of the social media platform Telegram. Durov’s lawyer expressed disbelief that a social network leader would be held accountable for any criminal activities on the platform, deeming it “absurd.”
According to reports from Reuters, the Paris prosecutor accuses Durov of conspiring to operate a network platform that enables illegal transactions, child exploitation images, drug trafficking, money laundering, and refusal to cooperate with judicial authorities.
Last Saturday, Durov was arrested at an airport near Paris. After four days in detention, he was granted bail on Wednesday. The conditions require him to pay a bail of 5 million euros (approximately 5.6 million dollars), report to the police twice a week, and remain within the French territory.
Earlier on Wednesday, Durov was transferred to the judicial department for his initial hearing.
Telegram boasts nearly one billion users. Durov’s arrest has sparked discussions on the boundaries of freedom of speech, law enforcement, and the extent to which tech companies should be held responsible for content on social media.
David-Olivier Kaminski, Durov’s defense lawyer in France, stated in an interview with local media outlets, “It’s completely absurd to think that the head of a social network could be directly or indirectly involved in crimes unrelated to him.”
He added, “Telegram fully complies with European digital regulations.”
In France, being under formal investigation does not imply guilt, nor does it necessarily lead to a trial. However, it signifies that the judge believes there is sufficient evidence to conduct an investigation. The investigation could span several years before proceeding to trial or being put on hold.
Kaminski did not immediately respond to requests for comments from Reuters.
It has been disclosed that French President Emmanuel Macron is a loyal user of Telegram. He stated earlier this week that the arrest of Durov was “by no means a political decision,” emphasizing that the investigation was determined by judicial authorities rather than the government.
Sources revealed that back in 2018, Macron had lunch with Durov as part of a series of meetings with technology entrepreneurs.
In 2021, Durov was granted French citizenship through a rare procedure aimed at high-profile individuals.
Born in Russia, Durov holds both Russian and United Arab Emirates passports. Forbes estimates his net worth at 15.5 billion dollars.
Durov founded the social media site Vkontakte in 2006 and fled Russia in 2014 after refusing to share Ukrainian user data with Russian authorities.