The billionaire creator of Telegram, Pavel Durov, appears to be stuck in Paris for some time after being accused by French prosecutors of a series of serious crimes. Authorities have banned him from leaving the country, subjecting him to strict judicial oversight, including police checks twice a week and a €5 million bail payment, according to Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau.
This event marks a crucial moment in what seems to be one of the most relevant tech news stories of the year. It all began less than a week ago when French authorities arrested Durov at Le Bourget airport, on the outskirts of Paris. Shortly thereafter, the prosecutor’s office made public a list of formal charges against the Telegram founder.
The indictment includes 12 charges, most of them related to Durov’s alleged involvement in activities such as money laundering, drug trafficking, and the distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Additionally, he is accused of failing to cooperate with authorities on legal interception requests and providing unlicensed encryption tools, seemingly in violation of a French law that requires certification of any encryption tool imported into the country.
In the days following Durov’s arrest, negative reactions have emerged from various and surprising sectors. From Elon Musk and far-right figures in the U.S. to representatives of the Russian government and even Kim Dotcom, many dubious characters have expressed their concern.
Both Russia and the United Arab Emirates have requested consular access to Durov during his detention, although it has not been reported whether any of these requests have been granted. According to media reports, Durov currently holds four passports: from France, Russia, the United Arab Emirates, and Saint Kitts and Nevis.
The Controversies Surrounding Telegram
It’s no secret that Telegram has been at the center of numerous controversies. For those familiar with the platform’s operations, it’s undeniable that Telegram has allowed the proliferation of illicit activities, from the distribution of sexually explicit material to drug trafficking and coordination among war criminals. Moreover, the spread of misinformation and disinformation through the platform has been overwhelming.
Another cause for concern is Durov’s possible connection to Russian intelligence services, although there is no conclusive evidence to support this. However, Durov’s image as a dissenter from the Russian establishment, which he worked hard to build during the 2010s, seems to have been seriously undermined.
One illustrative example is the flight that took Durov to Le Bourget last Saturday. He traveled from Azerbaijan, where he had spent a few days, coinciding with Vladimir Putin’s presence in the same place. Russian state media quickly reported that Durov had requested a meeting with Putin but was rejected, though it’s difficult to take these reports at face value.
Recently, several media outlets reported on an alleged massive leak from the Russian border service, which supposedly revealed that Durov visited Russia more than 60 times between 2015 and 2021. During this period, Durov publicly distanced himself from his homeland, presenting himself as a global citizen.
Telegram promotes itself as a secure messaging platform, focused on privacy and encryption. However, this claim is questionable, as individual chats are not end-to-end encrypted by default, and group chats and channels cannot be end-to-end encrypted. This means that, technically, someone within the company could read most of the messages sent through the platform.
Despite everything, Telegram has been vital for citizen communication in Ukraine during the early days and months following the Russian invasion. Local public channels on Telegram often warned people of missile attacks and Russian troop movements before any official source. The platform has also been used by dissidents and protesters worldwide to communicate and coordinate.
The Enfant Terrible
Despite everything, it seems that Telegram’s greatest sin has not been what happens on the platform itself, but rather its blatant refusal to cooperate with law enforcement. The prosecutor highlighted in her statement the “almost total lack of response” from the company to multiple requests from different EU countries.
This reflects Casey Newton’s sharp comment in his recent Platformer newsletter: “To avoid burdensome regulations on free speech and overzealous prosecutors, platform developers need to act responsibly. Telegram didn’t even try.”
From an objective and privacy-respecting standpoint, it seems we are facing one of those unfortunate situations where everyone is wrong. Arresting the CEO of a tech company for allegedly refusing to disclose user data sets a dangerous precedent that could have far-reaching consequences.
However, the experience of other companies in the market, such as Signal or Apple, shows that there are ways to collaborate with authorities without compromising user privacy. There was no valid reason for Durov to completely ignore the existence of laws and regulations. By failing to recognize this, he may have made things worse for everyone who cares about online security, privacy, and the right to encryption.
By: Nestor Castillo, ForAllTechNews Director