Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov is under formal investigation in France as part of an inquiry into organized crime activities on the messaging app, according to Paris prosecutors. Although Durov, 39, has not been detained, he is under judicial supervision and required to pay a €5 million (£4.2 million; $5.6 million) deposit.
The Russian-born billionaire, who also holds French citizenship, must report to a French police station twice a week and is prohibited from leaving France. Durov was initially detained last Saturday upon arrival at Le Bourget Airport, north of Paris, under a warrant related to offenses connected to Telegram.
According to a statement from Paris prosecutors on Wednesday, Durov is being formally investigated for several alleged offenses, including:
– Complicity in managing an online platform enabling illicit transactions by an organized gang
– Refusal to cooperate with authorities
– Complicity in the organized criminal distribution of sexual images of children
In France, being placed under formal investigation does not imply guilt or necessarily lead to a trial, but it does mean judges believe there is sufficient evidence to warrant an investigation.
Durov has not publicly commented on these developments. However, his lawyer, David-Olivier Kaminski, stated that Telegram fully complies with European digital regulations and is moderated according to the same standards as other social networks. He called it “absurd” to suggest that Durov could be involved in criminal activities unrelated to him.
This incident marks the first time a social media platform owner has been arrested over the platform’s use, sparking a heated debate about freedom of speech and accountability online. Unlike previous cases where tech executives faced tough questioning from lawmakers, Durov’s detention at an airport is unprecedented.
Elon Musk, owner of X (formerly Twitter), has defended Durov, calling moderation a “propaganda word” for censorship and advocating for his release. Chris Pavlovski, founder of the video-sharing platform Rumble, said he fled Europe following Durov’s detention.
While many major social networks engage with authorities on serious crimes such as the distribution of child sexual abuse images, Telegram faces accusations of failing to cooperate. The company, now based in Dubai, maintains that its moderation tools adhere to industry standards.
French President Emmanuel Macron affirmed earlier this week that France remains deeply committed to freedom of expression and stated that Durov’s detention was “in no way… political.”
Telegram allows large groups of up to 200,000 people to share and discuss content, compared to WhatsApp’s group size limit of just over 1,000. Although Telegram messages can be encrypted for privacy, this feature is not enabled by default and requires manual activation for private chats.
