An official investigation has been launched in France against Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of the popular messaging app Telegram. The investigation concerns Durov's role in enabling organized criminal activities through the Telegram app, according to French prosecutors.
The 39-year-old Pavel is currently in France under arrest but has not been remanded in custody. Instead, he is under judicial supervision and must deposit 5 million euros. Although of Russian descent, Pavel holds French citizenship. He is required to report to a French police station twice a week and will not be granted permission to leave France.
Pavel landed at Le Bourget Airport north of Paris on his private jet last Saturday evening, after which he was arrested.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Paris prosecutors indicated that the investigation into Pavel involves three main issues:
1. Allowing organized groups to conduct illegal transactions due to administrative weaknesses of the online platform (Telegram);
2. Refusal of Telegram authorities to communicate with relevant authorities;
3. Administrative failures of Telegram in preventing the distribution of sexually explicit material involving children.
Pavel Durov has not commented on his arrest or the subsequent legal actions. However, his lawyer, David-Olivier Kaminski, stated that Telegram respects European digital regulations and adheres to all prescribed standards, similar to other social networks.
Pavel Durov founded Telegram in 2013. The app is quite popular in Russia, Ukraine, and former Soviet Union countries. Due to conflicts with the Russian government, Pavel left Russia for Dubai in 2014, where Telegram has been operated since then. In 2018, the Russian government banned Telegram, but the ban was lifted in 2021. Governments in various countries have criticized Telegram, claiming that it is used by extremists, terrorists, and criminals due to its emphasis on user privacy.
According to the influential magazine Forbes, Pavel's net worth is approximately $15.5 billion. Pavel has consistently stated that Telegram is a neutral social communication platform and that he left Russia to avoid governmental restrictions.
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