Discreet and mysterious, the founder and head of the messaging service Telegram, Pavel Durov, has finally spoken out since his arrest and indictment in France for publishing illegal content on his platform.
In a lengthy message posted on Telegram on Thursday, September 5, Durov found “amazing” be held responsible for the content posted by others. “Using laws from the pre-smartphone era to accuse a CEO of crimes committed by third parties on the platform he manages is the wrong approach”writes.
The 39-year-old billionaire was arrested on August 24 at Le Bourget airport near Paris and his custody ended the following Wednesday. He faces numerous charges for refusing to moderate messages on Telegram, which he estimates has 950 million subscribers worldwide.
In his message, Durov denounces the claims that “Telegram is a kind of anarchic paradise”calling them“absolutely false”. “We remove millions of harmful messages and channels every day”insists.
He also rejects French accusations that Paris had not received responses from Telegram to its requests. He claims that he personally helped French authorities “Establish a helpline using Telegram to address the terrorist threat in France”.
Telegram ready “to leave this country”
Adopting a more conciliatory tone at the end of his message, Durov acknowledges that the sharp increase in the number of Telegram users has created a situation that “It made it easier for criminals to abuse our platform”. “That is why I have made it my personal goal to ensure that we significantly improve things in this regard.”He said, adding that this issue was analyzed “internally” and that more details would be communicated in the future.
“I hope that the events of August will allow Telegram – and the social media industry as a whole – to become safer and stronger.”Durov says, adding that if Telegram fails to reach an agreement with local regulators on the “good balance between privacy and security” SO “We would be willing to leave this country”.
Released after four days in police custody, Pavel Durov is subject to strict judicial supervision: he is held on bail of 5 million euros, must report to the police station twice a week and is prohibited from leaving French territory. Based in Dubai, he obtained the nationality of the United Arab Emirates and then that of the Caribbean island of Saint Kitts and Nevis, before adding, in August 2021, French citizenship thanks to an unusual procedure about which Paris is very discreet.
However, President Emmanuel Macron declared “to fully assume” This naturalization, within the framework of a “Strategy fully assumed”about personalities who “make the effort to learn the French language” AND “radiate throughout the world”.
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In Moscow, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned that these prosecutions against a “Russian citizen” should not “become political persecution”.
Edward Snowden and Elon Musk in support
According to a source close to the case, Pavel Durov and his brother Nikolaï, co-founders of Telegram, were the subject of search warrants issued by French courts since March as part of a preliminary investigation.
Notable supporters of the businessman include Russian-based American whistleblower Edward Snowden and tech mogul Elon Musk, who posted messages with the hashtag #FreePavel.
Founded in 2013, the messaging service Telegram, which has always claimed to respect European laws, is committed to never revealing information about its users.
A second investigation was also opened against Mr. Durov for “serious violence” committed in Paris against one of his sons born in 2017.
