The Paris Criminal Court explained the reasons behind the arrest of Pavel Durov, founder of Telegram, who was detained on August 24. French authorities initially did not comment on the case, maintaining the secrecy typical of judicial investigations.
According to TF1, the main concerns revolve around Telegram’s moderation processes and its refusal to cooperate with authorities, especially on issues like drug trafficking, money laundering, and child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
The case has attracted significant media attention. Figures like Elon Musk, owner of X, and Edward Snowden, former NSA contractor, have shown their support for Durov, even suggesting political motivations behind his arrest.
Telegram is very popular in Russia and Ukraine, making the case sensitive for both the Russian government and its opponents.
The media attention led the court to issue a statement detailing the charges against Durov, who has been under investigation by the Paris Prosecutor’s Office since July 8 for crimes related to cybercrime.
The charges include complicity in distributing CSAM, facilitating drug trafficking, organized fraud, and money laundering. He is also accused of not cooperating with law enforcement and failing to formally declare Telegram’s cryptographic functions to French authorities.
The investigation focuses on Telegram’s moderation processes, which manages 950 million active users monthly but has only 30 engineers dedicated to oversight. Additionally, Telegram recently launched a digital currency called Stars, which may have facilitated money laundering by not complying with “know your customer” regulations.
Finally, it is clarified that Durov’s detention is not related to the European Union’s Digital Services Act, nor does it respond to political decisions. French President Emmanuel Macron emphasized the independence of the judiciary in this case.
Durov could be detained and interviewed for up to 96 hours, after which the court will decide whether to formally charge him and whether he should remain in preventive detention, considering the risk of flight due to his resources and usual residence in Dubai.
By: Nestor Castillo, ForAllTechNews Director