A year after arrest, Telegram CEO Pavel Durov calls French charges ‘absurd’

Pavel Durov, the CEO of Telegram, has publicly condemned the French government for his arrest last year, which was linked to allegations that the messaging app's lax content moderation facilitated severe criminal activities. A year post-arrest, Durov described these accusations as "legally and logically absurd." In a post on X, Durov recounted his experience, stating, "One year ago, the French police detained me for four days because some individuals I’d never heard of used Telegram to coordinate crimes. Arresting the CEO of a significant platform over the actions of its users was not only unprecedented — it was legally and logically absurd." He further emphasized that the ongoing criminal investigation has failed to uncover any wrongdoing on his or Telegram's part. Durov highlighted that his arrest in August 2022 stemmed from errors made by the French police, who neglected to follow proper legal protocols prior to detaining him. "Ironically, I was arrested due to the French police’s own mistake: they ignored French and EU laws by not submitting their queries to Telegram through the required legal channels. They could have easily learned the right procedures with a simple search online or by asking," he remarked. Durov also mentioned the ongoing requirement to return to France every two weeks, with no date set for an appeal. He asserted that his detention has significantly tarnished France's reputation as a bastion of freedom. "So far, the only outcome of my arrest has been massive damage to France’s image as a free country. One thing is certain: we’ll keep fighting — and we will win," he declared. When questioned about potential backdoor access given to French authorities, Durov firmly responded, "I’d rather die — no third party has access to private messages on Telegram." Despite his arrest, reports have suggested that Telegram has increased its cooperation with French authorities by sharing user data in response to requests, a shift from its previous policy of only sharing information related to terrorism cases.