Telegram CEO charged over alleged criminal activity on messaging app

(WJET/WFXP) — Telegram CEO and co-founder Pavel Durov has been charged with multiple crimes related to his messaging app after he was arrested in Paris over the weekend.

Russian-born Durov, who holds French nationality, is accused of using his platform to distribute child abuse material and drug trafficking, and of refusing to share information or documents with investigators when required by law.

The 39-year-old billionaire was charged Wednesday with complicity in operating an online platform to facilitate an illegal transaction by an organized crime group. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of €500,000.

He is also accused of the following charges:

• Complicity in the creation, without legitimate reason, of a program or data designed to attack an automated data processing system
• Complicity in organized gang distribution of child pornography of minors
• Complicity in drug trafficking, organized gang fraud and criminal conspiracy
• Money laundering of crimes or offences through organised gambling
• Providing cryptology services aimed at ensuring confidentiality functions without a conforming statement

Durov was arrested Saturday at Le Bourget airport outside Paris as part of a large-scale judicial investigation opened last month, and was released earlier Wednesday after four days of questioning. Investigating judges presented preliminary charges Wednesday night, ordering him to post €5 million bail and report to a police station twice a week.

Pavel Durov, CEO of Telegram, at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, ​​Spain, on Tuesday, February 23, 2016. Durov was arrested in France on Saturday, August 24, 2024, over allegations that the messaging service failed to properly combat crime on the app. Photograph: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg via Getty Images

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday that the arrest was not a political move but part of an independent investigation.

In France’s first public comment on the arrest, Macron posted on social media platform X that his country is “deeply committed” to freedom of expression, but that “freedoms are upheld within a legal framework, both on social media and in real life, to protect citizens and respect their fundamental rights.”

Macron condemned what he called false information and said the arrest “is in no way a political decision. It is up to the judges to judge this.”

Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of X who has previously called himself a “freedom of speech absolutist,” posted “#freePavel” in support of Durov.

Western governments have often criticized Telegram for its lack of content moderation, which experts say could allow the messaging platform to be used for money laundering, drug trafficking and sharing material related to the sexual exploitation of minors.

In a statement posted on its platform after his arrest, Telegram said it complies with EU law and that its moderation “falls within industry standards and is continuously improving.”

“It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner is responsible for the misuse of that platform,” Telegram’s message read. “Almost a billion users worldwide use Telegram as a means of communication and as a source of essential information. We are waiting for a quick resolution of this situation. Telegram is with you all.”

What is Telegram?

Telegram is an encrypted messaging service that is a “cloud-based mobile and desktop messaging app with a focus on security and speed.”

The platform was founded in the fall of 2013 by Pavel Durov and his brother Nikolai. By 2024, the app had nearly 1 billion active users, making it one of the largest messaging apps after WhatsApp, WeChat and Facebook Messenger.

The app largely circumvents government surveillance of content, with its central privacy feature being end-to-end encryption on secret chats and conversations. This essentially prevents third parties from seeing what is being sent or said in the conversation.

According to Telegram’s FAQ page, the company has historically been funded by Durov, meaning your data is not sold for monetization. To help with funding, Telegram has implemented several ways to monetize the platform. In 2021, they added “minimalist, privacy-conscious ads that may appear on certain public channels.” The following year, they introduced a premium subscription to support the app and unlock premium features.

The app has become a major source of unfiltered — and sometimes graphic and misleading — content for both Ukraine and Russia following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The app is widely used by both Ukrainian officials and the Russian government.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.