Pavel Durov, founder of the messaging platform Telegram, was charged in France on Wednesday for allegedly enabling a wide variety of crimes from drug trafficking to the distribution of child sexual abuse materials. Durov was arrested Saturday at Le Bourget airport just outside Paris while traveling in a private jet and has spent the past five days being questioned by French authorities.
The press release issued by prosecutors in France on Wednesday listed crimes that include “distributing images of minors presenting a pedo pornographic nature” as well as “organized fraud,” and “association with criminals to commit crimes or offenses,” according to an English language translation.
European authorities have also alleged that Telegram hasn’t been communicating with police appropriately when the social media company is alerted about illegal material. The press release describes it as a “refusal to provide, upon request by authorized authorities, the information or documents necessary for the execution and operation of legally sanctioned interceptions.”
The 39-year-old Durov founded Telegram in Russia in 2013 but moved to the UAE in 2014. Durov holds citizenship in France, the UAE, and the Caribbean countries of St. Kitts and Nevis, according to the Associated Press.
Telegram responded to the news of charges possibly being pressed against Durov earlier Wednesday by calling it “absurd” that the founder would be held responsible for the actions of others on the platform.
“It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner are responsible for abuse of that platform,” Telegram wrote. “Almost a billion users globally use Telegram as means of communication and as a source of vital information. We’re awaiting a prompt resolution of this situation. Telegram is with you all.”
Durov reportedly paid bail of €5 million, or roughly $5.5 million dollars, according to the New York Times, and will be required to check in at a local police station twice a week. Durov is forbidden from leaving France and he faces 10 years in prison if convicted.
The case in France is being handled by the Cybercrime Division of France’s JUNALCO (National Jurisdiction for the Fight against Organized Crime, under the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Paris), with special attention from the OFMIN (National Office of Minors), according to the press release from prosecutors.
Durov’s fate is being watched closely within the tech community, given the fact that it’s the first time the head of a major social media network is personally being held responsible for content on his platform.
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