Pavel Durov, the CEO and founder of Telegram, has confirmed that he left France and returned to Dubai when the French authorities continue their studies on criminal activities in connection with his messaging platform.
Durov, who owns Emirati's citizenship, made the announcement on his telegram channel on Monday and said that he had spent several months in France after affecting the role of telegram in criminal activities.
In August 2024, Durov was arrested at Le Bourget Airport near Paris and was preliminary charges in connection with crimes carried out on the app, including drug trafficking, money laundering and distribution of sexual abuse material for children sexual abuse. AP News said.
He was arrested for several days because of a survey and then stopped leaving France.
The French authorities also imposed strict deposit.
Despite these conditions, Durov received the permission of the French authorities to temporarily leave the country.
In his telegram post, Durov said: “As you may have heard, I returned to Dubai after several months in France because she examined the activity of criminals in the telegram. The process is not yet complete, but it feels great to be at home.”
Durov defends Telegram in the study of criminal activities in France
During his time in France, Durov stood on control of telegram through illegal activities on his platform.
French investigators accused the messaging app of not adequately working with the authorities during the examination of criminal activities.
Telegram was under fire due to its perceived lack of moderation, which enable critics to exploit criminal groups for illegal purposes.
In his post, Durov defended Telegram and explained that the platform consistently met and even exceeded its legal obligations regarding the masonry in terms of content and cooperation with the authorities.
Accordingly EuronewsHe recognized the challenges of managing a rapidly growing platform and explained that the increase in telegram's user base caused “growing pain”, which in turn made it easier for criminals to abuse the platform.
The legal examination continues, and Durov's return to Dubai does not signal the end of the case.
According to French law, preliminary charges exist, which indicates that the authorities have significant evidence that indicate criminal activities but need more time for a thorough examination.
Telegram, which was founded by Durov and his brother in 2013, has become a widespread communication instrument, especially in Ukraine, in which both media and government officials rely on the app to share critical information, including rocket warnings in the middle of the ongoing war with Russia.
However, the app was criticized in western countries because it benefits the moderation of content, which leads to the relief of criminal behavior.
Originally published on vcpost.com