Paris, France — Pavel Durov, the Russian-born billionaire and founder of the popular messaging app Telegram, is now under formal investigation by French authorities, a move that has sent shockwaves through the tech world and sparked international debate over free speech and platform responsibility.
Durov, 39, is being investigated for a range of suspected offenses, including complicity in illegal gang transactions, “laundering of crimes in an organized gang,” and failure to cooperate with authorities. These allegations stem from the alleged use of Telegram by criminal organizations to conduct illicit activities, including fraud, drug trafficking, and the dissemination of child pornography. The French prosecutor’s office also cited the platform’s near-complete lack of response to legal requests concerning serious offenses like trafficking, online hate speech, and crimes involving minors.
The investigation does not imply guilt but indicates that French prosecutors believe there is sufficient evidence to warrant a thorough inquiry. Durov has not yet been formally charged but must remain in France under judicial supervision. He is required to report to a French police station twice a week and has been released on bail set at €5 million ($5.56 million).
The investigation follows Durov’s dramatic arrest at Paris’s Bourget Airport last Saturday, where he was detained on a warrant related to Telegram’s alleged failure to moderate content on its platform. Durov was held in police custody for up to 96 hours, the maximum duration allowed under French law before formal charges must be filed.
Telegram, launched in 2013 by Durov and his brother Nikolai, has grown into one of the world’s most widely used messaging platforms, boasting over 950 million users. Its encrypted conversations provide a level of privacy that has made it popular in countries with restrictive regimes but has also drawn criticism for its use by terrorists, far-right extremists, and criminals. The app was notably used by terrorists to coordinate the Paris attacks in November 2015.
French President Emmanuel Macron addressed the situation on Monday, stating that the decision to investigate Durov was “in no way political,” an unusual move for a French leader to comment on an ongoing judicial matter. Meanwhile, Russia has voiced strong objections to Durov’s detention, with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova accusing France of trampling on international norms of free speech.
Durov, often referred to as the “Mark Zuckerberg of Russia,” left his home country in 2014 amid a standoff with the Russian government over control of VKontakte, a social networking site he founded. He now resides in Dubai, where Telegram is headquartered, and holds French citizenship. His wealth is estimated at $9.15 billion, according to Bloomberg.
The arrest and investigation of Durov have stirred concerns in both Ukraine and Russia, where Telegram has become a crucial communication tool amid the ongoing conflict between the two nations. In Russia, government officials, including Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, have sought to reassure users about the app’s future, urging calm and advising against deleting sensitive messages.
As the investigation unfolds, the case against Durov is likely to raise further questions about the balance between privacy, free speech, and the responsibility of tech platforms to prevent their services from being exploited for criminal purposes.