Pavel Durov Criticises French Legal Action in New Public Statement
Pavel Durov, the founder of the Telegram messaging app, has publicly denounced his recent arrest in France, describing it as “surprising” and “misguided”. In his first comments since his detention last month, Durov asserted that French authorities should have engaged with Telegram directly instead of detaining him.
I'm still trying to understand what happened in France. But we hear the concerns. I made it my personal goal to prevent abusers of Telegram's platform from interfering with the future of our 950+ million users.
In a statement released on his Telegram channel, Durov highlighted that Telegram had established a direct communication line with French authorities for such issues. “If a country is unhappy with an Internet service, the established practice is to start a legal action against the service itself,” Durov remarked. He emphasised that laws from the “pre-smartphone era” should not be used to charge a CEO for third-party actions on the platform.
French Authorities’ Actions Criticised
Durov’s arrest on August 24th at Le Bourget airport near Paris came amidst an investigation into alleged crimes including child pornography and drug trafficking associated with Telegram. Despite his detention, he maintains that Telegram is actively addressing harmful content. “We take down millions of harmful posts and channels every day,” Durov stated, refuting claims that the platform operates as an “anarchic paradise”.
French PresidentEmmanuel Macron has insisted that the arrest was not politically motivated. Nevertheless, the decision has sparked significant criticism from both international tech figures and free speech advocates. Rumble founder Chris Pavlovski has warned that France may no longer be a safe environment for tech entrepreneurs focused on free speech, highlighting the broader implications of Durov’s arrest.
International Reactions and Support
Durov, who holds citizenship in Russia, France, and the United Arab Emirates, has opted not to seek diplomatic assistance from his other countries of citizenship during this period. His bail conditions require him to remain in France and report to law enforcement twice a week. The arrest has drawn support from high-profile figures such as Elon Musk, who has publicly advocated for Durov’s release.
❤️ Thanks everyone for your support and love!
Last month I got interviewed by police for 4 days after arriving in Paris. I was told I may be personally responsible for other people’s illegal use of Telegram, because the French authorities didn’t receive responses from Telegram.…
In his statement, Durov acknowledged the challenges posed by Telegram’s rapid growth, which he described as “growing pains” that have inadvertently facilitated criminal misuse. He expressed a commitment to improving the platform’s security measures, while also warning that Telegram might exit markets that are incompatible with its principles.
Durov’s case continues to evolve, and the international tech community remains vigilant about the implications of this high-profile arrest on the broader discourse surrounding free speech and internet regulation.
