France charges Telegram chief, Pavel Durov with app-related violations

Pavel Durov, CEO and co-founder of Telegram, has been formally charged by French authorities with multiple violations related to the operation of the popular messaging app.

Durov, a 39-year-old Franco-Russian billionaire, was arrested on August 24, 2024, at Le Bourget airport near Paris under a warrant issued for his alleged involvement in various criminal activities facilitated through Telegram.

The charges against Durov include complicity in the administration of an online platform enabling illicit transactions, refusal to cooperate with authorities by withholding requested documents, and the dissemination of child pornography images.

He is also accused of facilitating drug trafficking, fraud, and money laundering through the app.

Despite the severity of the charges, Durov was granted conditional release after posting a bail of five million euros.

Under the terms of his release, he must remain in France, report to a police station twice a week, and is prohibited from leaving the country, according to a statement from Paris prosecutor, Laure Beccuau.

The investigation into Telegram’s activities by French judicial authorities began in February 2024, following concerns about the platform’s “near total absence of a response” to law enforcement requests.