French authorities have charged Telegram founder, Pavel Durov, with allegedly allowing his messaging app to be used by child sexual abusers, organised crime gangs, drug traffickers and fraud, Sky News reports.
The Russian born billionaire who was arrested in France on Saturday after landing at Le Bourget airport outside Paris, on his private jet, was also alleged to have refused his app to share information or documents with investigators.
Judges in France have stopped the 39-year-old entrepreneur from leaving the country until completion of investigation but released him on a €5 million bail, thereby avoiding being held in custody.
Telegram in a statement on Monday denied any wrongdoing, insisting that it didn’t violate any European Union laws, because its moderation is “within industry standards and constantly improving.”
“It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner is responsible for abuse of that platform. Telegram’s CEO Pavel Durov has nothing to hide and travels frequently in Europe. We’re awaiting a prompt resolution of this situation. Telegram is with you all,” the statement added.
However, France President Emmanuel Macron, on his X handle on Monday, defended Mr Durov’s arrest, stating that the country “is deeply committed to freedom of expression and communication, to innovation, and to the spirit of entrepreneurship. It will remain so.”
The French president said freedoms are upheld within a legal framework, both on social media and in real life, to protect citizens and respect their fundamental rights, in countries governed by the rule of law.
He said, “It is up to the judiciary, in full independence, to enforce the law,” explaining that Mr Durov’s arrest “on French soil, took place as part of an ongoing judicial investigation. It is in no way a political decision.”
