Durov finds French accusations against him peculiar
Unleashed Revelations: Controversy Surrounding Telegram's Founder, Pavel Durov
Straight-shooting In an eyebrow-raising conversation, Telegram founder Pavel Durov openly discussed his puzzlement regarding the accusations against him in France, revealing his frustration towards the investigations. Speaking to American journalist Tucker Carlson, Durov reiterated that the claims of not answering legal requests are unfounded.
"Initially, they said we hadn't responded to their requests, but that's bogus. If it was a reality, interpreting 'complicity' would be a stretch. Lawyers assert there are almost no precedents," Durov stated emphatically.
Unearthing the Past Durov has faced criticism for insufficient content moderation in the messenger and lack of cooperation with authorities. In August 2024, he was apprehended at Paris' Le Bourget airport, later released on bail, and forbidden from leaving the country.
The entrepreneur remains stuck in France, with travel restrictions hampering his movements and the ongoing investigation. "I was allowed to travel to Dubai but had to return recently, and I'll go back this week. However, it's a highly restricted, meticulously controlled journey," he explained.
In May, Durov sought to visit the U.S. for discussions with investment funds, only to be denied permission to leave France. Before that, he reported France's request to block conservative information in Romania, where presidential elections were held. Paris vehemently denied this allegation. He also claimed that French intelligence sought his help in gathering information about Ukraine, Moldova, and Romania under the veil of counterterrorism and child pornography prevention.
Tough Times Ahead Last month, a court barred him from attending the "Freedom Forum" in Oslo, organized by the Human Rights Foundation (HRF).
French prosecutor Malika de Reka made headlines in February, stating that a warrant for Durov's arrest was issued due to numerous investigations that had stalled due to Telegram's failure to respond to requests from law enforcement agencies. Prosecutors viewed his silence as a form of complicity in these cases. Post-arrest, Telegram declared its readiness to share IP addresses and phone numbers of rule-breakers with law enforcement agencies in response to legally justified requests.
Detailed Analysis:Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, has been under investigation in France for several contentious accusations associated with the functioning of Telegram. These claims include, but are not limited to, complicity in crimes, failure to cooperate with authorities, money laundering, involvement in criminal associations, and providing crypto services without due notification [3][4]. Durov is primarily investigated for inadequate content moderation, owing to French authorities' belief that the platform has not done enough to prohibit the propagation of terrorist and child pornography material. The French intelligence agency, DGSE, has allegedly communicated with Durov, reminding him of his responsibilities in countering such threats [1]. Moreover, concerns regarding Telegram's infrastructure being controlled by a Russian engineer linked to the FSB have further fueled doubts about the platform's commitment to ensuring user safety and compliance with legal requirements [5].
[1] - https://www.reuters.com/business/telecoms/france-says-telegram-removes-terrorism-content-slowly-2021-12-28/[2] - https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/france-arrests-telegram-founder-durov-allegedly-undermining-rules-2024-08-23/[3] - https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/france-mulls-charging-telegram-founder-durov-aiding-terrorism-amid-probe-2025-03-10/[4] - https://www.jurist.org/news/2025/09/french-court-rules-against-durov-telegram-founder-over-security-claims/[5] - https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3135130/telegram-co-founder-pavel-durov-claims-new-charges-france-planned-system
In light of the ongoing controversy, the politics surrounding Durov and his messaging platform, Telegram, have garnered attention. The threads of this controversy are intricately linked with general-news stories about Durov's arrest and travel restrictions, as well as allegations of his complicity in crime-and-justice matters such as insufficient content moderation and failure to cooperate with authorities.
