The arrest of Telegram founder Pavel Durov forced him to start collaborating with French security forces and provide them with information that could help identify suspicious users of his messenger, according to the newspaper Libération.
According to the publication, until recently, Pavel Durov’s company ignored requests from French law enforcement agencies, but now Telegram has changed its strategy and has begun “unprecedented cooperation” on all requests.
Telegram has responded to requests from the Office for Minors (Ofmin) of the French National Police and Gendarmerie in several criminal investigations, providing data that could identify suspects. In particular, we are talking about crimes against children.
“The door really opens” — confirmed to Libération the head of the J3 cybercrime department of the Paris prosecutor’s office Joanna Brouss.
According to the newspaper, all French security forces have been advised to resume investigations that were suspended due to the impossibility of obtaining information from Telegram.
As reported EADailyDurov was arrested on August 24 at Le Bourget airport as he was getting off his private plane. He was accused of deliberately failing to moderate illegal content on the messenger. The founder of Telegram was “shocked by the arrest” because the messenger had a communication channel with the French General Directorate of Internal Security (DGSI, counterintelligence), Libération previously wrote, citing a source. The founder of the messenger, during questioning in Paris, said that he maintained contacts with its representatives, in particular, he met with them in Dubai.
Former Paris Prosecutor Lor Becky RTL radio reported that Pavel Durov is cooperating with French judicial authorities and fully complying with the conditions of supervision set out after he was charged.
September 6, Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev He said that Durov could, under certain conditions, transfer the encryption keys to the French intelligence services, although he does not want to do so.
Official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia Maria Zakharova He noted that Russian diplomats in Paris had done everything necessary in the situation with Durov’s detention, and had requested consular access.
Durov holds passports from several countries, including France, Russia and the United Arab Emirates.
