Pavel Durov, founder of the messaging app Telegram, accused in France last year, has been charged with a variety of crimes related to illegal activities on the app and is now permitted to leave the country temporarily.
Durov was barred from leaving France, but the Paris prosecutor's office said Monday that the investigative judge handling his case lifted travel restrictions when he had to return to France from March 15 to April 7.
“The French-born entrepreneur, Dolov, a Russian-born entrepreneur who holds citizenship in France and the United Arab Emirates,” said Dulov, a Russian-born entrepreneur with citizenship in France and the United Arab Emirates. “The process is ongoing, but being at home feels great.”
Durov, 40, was detained near Paris last August and was barred from leaving the country during investigation. It was a rare move by French legal authorities, and he personally conspired and accused him of his own by running an online platform that was deemed to allow illegal activities. After being released from custody last year, he had to check in at the police station twice a week.
Durov faces a potential prison sentence of up to 10 years. He was also charged with complicity in crimes, including distributing child sexual abuse materials, drug trafficking, fraud and refusing to cooperate with law enforcement.
Durov criticized French authorities for the arrest and said he could not be personally liable for what users post on Telegram. However, since August, the company has made several changes to more aggressively police its platform and work with law enforcement agencies around the world.
“In terms of moderation, cooperation and combat crime, not only did telegrams meet for years, but they surpassed their legal obligations,” Durov said Monday.
Founded by Durov in 2013, Telegram says it has over 1 billion users. Sparse surveillance of user-generated content made it popular among people living under authoritarian governments, but the oversight of LAX has made hateful rhetoric and harmful content a fester.
The French case surprised international debate about the free speech of the responsibility of the internet and high-tech companies police the speeches and actions of platform users. Some governments in the European Union in particular are increasingly scrutinizing high-tech companies and pressure them to deal with the spread of child safety, terrorism, disinformation and other harmful content.
In France, Telegram is involved in multiple criminal cases related to child sexual abuse, drug trafficking and virtual hate crimes. Laure Beccuau, a top Paris prosecutor, said last year when he was asked to work with law enforcement, the organization demonstrated a “almost consistent absence.”
Durov is one of a small list of high-level technicians accused of crimes committed by users of the platform, including Ross W. Ulbricht, creator of the Silk Road virtual black market, and Changpen Zao, founder of Vinans, who pleaded guilty to violating US money money last year.
President Trump forgives Ulbriccht in January.
Aurelien Breeden contributed to the report from Paris.
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