Telegram CEO Pavel Durov was indicted on Wednesday by French authorities on six charges related to activities occurring on his messaging platform. He was released from custody on a €5 million bail.
Durov was detained on Saturday at Paris' Le Bourget airport after a warrant was issued for his arrest. He has been charged with complicity in managing an online platform “in order to enable an illegal transaction in organized group” as well as refusal to cooperate with law enforcement, according to Politico.
Durov also faces charges of “complicity in the offenses of making available without legitimate reason a program or data designed for… organized gang distribution of images of minors presenting child pornography, drug trafficking.”
The Telegram CEO has faced criticism by French authorities for the lack of moderation on his messaging app. The prosecutor's office stated that Telegram “appears in multiple cases involving various offenses (child sexual abuse offenses, trafficking, online hate),” yet failed to respond to judicial requests.
“When consulted, other French investigation departments and public prosecutors’ offices, as well as various Eurojust partners, notably Belgian, shared the same observation,” the prosecutor’s office stated. “This led… to opening an investigation into the possible criminal responsibility of the managers of this messaging service.”
In addition to his charges, Durov is prohibited from leaving France and is required to report to a police station twice a week.
Telegram, headquartered in Dubai where Durov is also a citizen (he holds dual citizenship in France and the UAE), has been criticized for failing to address illegal communication on its platform. The company, however, has attested that Durov has done nothing wrong and that “It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner are responsible for abuse of that platform.”
