**Telegram CEO Pavel Durov Under Investigation in France for Criminal Charges**
Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of messaging app Telegram, has been put under formal investigation in France for a range of criminal charges. After spending four days in police custody, Durov was released on the condition that he does not leave French territory during the investigation. Bail has been set at €5 million (around $5.6 million) and he must check in at a police station twice a week.
The Paris criminal court, in charge of the investigation, shared a list of charges that led to Durov’s arrest on August 24. The main accusations include running a company complicit in storing and distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM), facilitating drug trafficking, facilitating organized fraud, and other illegal transactions. Durov is also facing charges related to the registration of Telegram’s cryptographic features and other criminal complaints.
Being placed under formal investigation in the French judicial system is a necessary procedural step to take a case to trial. However, it does not guarantee a trial will occur. If authorities determine they do not have a strong enough case, the investigation may be shelved. Nevertheless, the fact that Durov has been formally suspected of the charges suggests that there is a substantial reason to pursue the probe.
The Paris prosecutor’s statement confirms all the charges and details why Durov was taken into custody. Telegram’s failure to respond to judicial requests regarding various offenses, such as child pornography, trafficking, and online hate speech, caught the attention of the cybercrime section within the Paris public prosecutor’s office. Other French investigation departments and public prosecutors’ offices, along with Eurojust partners, supported this observation, leading to an investigation into the possible criminal responsibility of Telegram’s executives.
While the case against Telegram began with a CSAM investigation, it expanded during the preliminary investigation as French authorities looked into the messaging app’s activities more broadly. Telegram currently has 950 million monthly active users and few moderation tools and processes. The lack of content moderation, coupled with the company’s unwillingness to cooperate with law enforcement, has prompted the Paris court to claim that Telegram’s moderation (or lack thereof) enables the sharing of CSAM, drug trafficking, and fraudulent activities on the platform.
Telegram’s defense, that it is absurd to hold the head of a social platform responsible for criminal acts that do not involve him, does not address the company’s initial failure to comply with the law enforcement request. Furthermore, Durov is also facing charges of money laundering, possibly related to Telegram’s cryptocurrency features and failure to comply with “Know Your Customer” requirements.
Given the wide-ranging nature of the case, the investigation is expected to last several months or even more than a year. Durov is required to remain in France for the duration of the investigation.
