The billionaire CEO of Telegram Pavel Durov has been criminally charged following his arrest in France.
Telegram is a Russian messaging app with over 950 million monthly users.
Durov is accused of facilitating criminal activity – including drug trafficking and fraud – on the platform.
The charges have raised questions about whether social media CEOs should be held responsible for illegal activity on their platforms.
Telegram
In 2006, Durov founded Vkontakte (VK), a popular Russian social media platform.
Following significant pressure from the Russian Government in 2011, Durov sold his stake in VK to a businessman with ties to Putin.
He moved to Dubai and has since become a French citizen. In August 2013, Durov and his brother Nikolai founded Telegram.
Arrest
Durov was arrested at an airport on the outskirts of Paris over the weekend. Initial reports suggested he was under investigation over Telegram’s moderation and content policies.
Following his arrest, a statement from Telegram said Durov had “nothing to hide”. At the time, the Russian Embassy in France said French authorities were “avoiding interaction on this issue”.
A day later, French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed Durov’s arrest was “part of an ongoing judicial investigation” and denied that it was “a political decision.”
Investigation
Earlier this week, the Paris Judicial Court said it had charged an unnamed person with complicity in organised fraud, drug trafficking, and child sexual abuse content.
It did not confirm whether that person is Durov, but the court said his arrest was part of an investigation by the nation’s anti-fraud and cybercrime authorities.
The charges are preliminary, meaning investigators need more time to gather evidence.
Encryption
The charges against the unnamed person also relate to providing an encrypted tool that doesn’t require certification or ensure authenticity.
Telegram has a ‘Secret Chat’ feature where users can send each other encrypted messages, meaning they cannot be read by any third parties or Telegram staff.
Charges
Pavel Durov has been charged in relation to Telegram as a platform, alleging it has facilitated and failed to moderate alleged criminal activity.
Durov has been released from police custody with a bail of over $AU8 million (€5 million). The CEO must also report to police twice a week, and cannot leave the country.
Durov’s supporters have accused France’s Government of trying to limit free speech.
