Janice R. Andrews
Pavel Durov, CEO of Telegram, has been officially charged by French prosecutors. He is not allowed to leave the country while authorities look into his claimed participation in illegal activities. The Russian millionaire Durov was charged on Wednesday with “helping to spread child pornography, illegal drugs, and hacking software” through the chat app Telegram, which he created. A report from The Wall Street Journal says he is also being charged with “refusing to cooperate with investigations into illegal activity on Telegram.”
Durov was caught outside of Paris on Saturday. He was freed from police custody after making bail of €5 million. He has to stay in France under court supervision and go to a police station twice a week as part of the terms of his freedom. A report in The Wall Street Journal says the probe could last for months or even years.
Getting charged is a big blow for Durov, who is known for living a wandering life and moving around a lot in different countries. He has to stay in France until the charges against him are dropped, which will never happen.
Telegram said in a statement that the charges against Durov were “absurd” and that he shouldn’t be responsible for what people do on the site. In response, the company says the claims are false and plans to fight them in court.
What comes out of this investigation could have very bad effects on Durov and Telegram, especially in how they deal with illegal material and work with law enforcement around the world. As the court case goes on, Durov’s position in France is still unclear, which could affect both his freedom and the future of the chat app.
