French authorities charged Telegram CEO Pavel Durov with six criminal offenses on Wednesday, alleging that the technology leader allowed illegal activities on his platform.
Following Durov’s arrest this weekend, an unattributed statement on Telegram said the CEO had “nothing to hide,” the company complies with “EU laws” and it was “absurd to claim that a platform or its owner is responsible for the misuse of that platform.”
The influential messaging platform has become a key source of information in the war in Ukraine and Russia, but has been repeatedly criticized by critics and researchers for refusing to remove graphic, misleading and sometimes criminal content. Despite ongoing pressure from governments around the world, Telegram rarely closes channels or removes posts from its servers.
French authorities arrested Durov over the weekend and later said in a press release that there was an ongoing investigation into posts containing images of child sexual abuse, drug trafficking and money laundering, among other crimes. He was charged on Wednesday.
In the French criminal justice system, the indictment against Durov has given more time for investigations.
Durov’s arrest raises questions about freedom of expression and content moderation.
What do we know about Durov’s allegations?
Durov, a Russian and French citizen, was charged on Wednesday with several offenses, including “complicity” in spreading child sexual abuse material and drug trafficking on Telegram while refusing to cooperate with authorities’ investigations into the platform.
The charge of complicity in managing an online platform that provides access to organized crime can carry a sentence of up to 10 years in prison and a fine of 500,000 euros, French officials told the Associated Press.
Durov was released from police custody on Wednesday but is not allowed to leave France. He must also report to a police station twice a week, AP reported, citing the Paris prosecutor’s office.
Telegram called Durov’s arrest “absurd” and said the company was waiting for “a speedy resolution” of the situation.
Citing French media, the AP quoted his lawyer David-Olivier Kaminski as saying: “It is completely absurd to assume that the person responsible for a social network could be involved in criminal acts that do not concern him directly or indirectly.”
Durov’s arrest sparked strong reactions from advocates of absolute freedom of expression such as Elon Musk – although his previous record regarding the admission of expression at X has also been questioned.
Musk, who has been criticized for poor content moderation on his platform X, defended Durov and portrayed the Telegram CEO’s arrest as a larger global threat to free speech.
Daniel Lyons, an internet law expert at Boston College Law School, told the New York Times that the allegations against Durov could prompt other social media platforms to increase moderation to ensure compliance with local laws.
“As CEO, because I am personally at risk, I will have a much lower tolerance for statements and transactions on the fringes of the business world. That would at least make me question where I am going and why,” Lyons told the Times.
Durov’s allegations are a signal to other executives in the technology and social media industries to toe the line, Harmeet K. Dhillon, founder and managing partner of the Dhillon Law Group and former vice chair of the California Republican Party, said in a statement to Business Insider.
“The EU has made similar threats against X and Rumble, among others,” she said. “This will have a deterrent effect worldwide, which is of course its intended purpose.”
French President Emmanuel Macron said Monday that the decision to bring charges was “in no way a political decision” and that his country was “deeply committed to freedom of expression,” AP reported.
