French justice on Wednesday charged the founder of the Telegram messaging platform, Pavel Dúrov, with charges ranging from laundering of crimes to complicity in the distribution of child pornography and ordered his release under judicial supervision.
The arrest of Pavel Dúrov in Paris has sparked a global debate about the characteristics of Telegram, its role in exercising freedom of expression online and the ability of governments to control crimes committed in the virtual sphere. And also what France’s real intentions are.
After three days in police custody, the French prosecutor’s office made public on Monday evening the twelve crimes he is accused of, including complicity in drug trafficking, the distribution of child pornography and membership in a criminal gang.
The reason for the arrest is the lack of collaboration of Telegram and, by extension, of Dúrov, with the French justice system in the investigation of these crimes. The application generally ignores requests for information from the authorities, a policy that other European judicial systems, such as the Spanish one, have encountered.
