Telegram founder charged with allowing criminal activity on messaging app in latest 'attack on free speech'
Pavel Durov
Reuters
Chief executive of Telegram Pavel Durov has been charged with allegedly allowing criminal activity on the messaging app.
Durov was granted bail on condition of paying a deposit of €5million, reporting twice a week to police and has been banned from leaving France.
Telegram has responded by insisting it abides by EU laws and its moderation is "within industry standards and constantly improving".
Being placed under formal investigation in France does not imply guilt or necessarily lead to trial but shows judicial authorities consider there is enough to the case to proceed with the probe.
Pavel Durov was granted bail
Reuters
People walk past paper planes outside the French embassy in Moscow which were placed during a gathering in support of freedom of expression
Reuters
Durov is also under the obligation to sign in with the police twice a week and is not allowed to leave France.
A spokesperson from Telegram added: "It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner is responsible for abuse of that platform."
Durov's arrest in France has caused outrage in Russia with paper planes - representing Telegram's logo - being placed outside the French embassy in Moscow in support of the billionaire.
It comes as Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, has warned that the arrest could be a deterrent against free speech.
Writing on X, owned by billionaire Musk, he said: “The arrest of Pavel Durov is worrying. Telegram is a secure free speech app. It may have some bad actors, but then all platforms do. What next... the arrest of Elon Musk?”
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
Emmanuel Macron has insisted that Durov's arrest was not political
GettyFrench President Emmanuel Macron has insisted that Durov's arrest was not political, and posted on X that his country "is deeply committed" to freedom of expression.
He added that "freedoms are upheld within a legal framework, both on social media and in real life, to protect citizens and respect their fundamental rights".
Durov founded the social media platform after facing pressure from Russian authorities about another platform he launched.
He defied demands to restrict Russian opposition activists and hand over personal data on the popular social networking site VKontakte (VK).
Instead, he sold his stake in VK and left the country to focus on Telegram, which remains particularly influential in Russia, Ukraine and the republics of the former Soviet Union.