Pavel Durov, founder and CEO of Telegram, breaks his silence since his arrest in France.
French authorities arrested and charged him with several severe accusations.
They include using his platform to aid terrorism, drug trafficking, and distribute child abuse imagery.
These charges also included failing to cooperate with law enforcement and adequately moderating harmful content on Telegram, a platform that has nearly one billion users worldwide.
Durov’s arrest took place at Le Bourget Airport near Paris on August 24, followed with an indictment on August 28.
Durov’s Defence
Durov, in a statement posted on his Telegram channel, denies all the charges and criticised the approach taken by French authorities.
He argues that charging him personally, rather than holding the platform accountable, sets a dangerous example for tech companies.
“If a country is unhappy with an internet service, the established practice is to start legal action against the service itself.”
“Using laws from the pre-smartphone era to charge a CEO with crimes committed by third parties on the platform he manages is a misguided approach. Building technology is hard enough as it is. No innovator will ever build new tools if they know they can be personally held responsible for the potential abuse of those tools. “Durov reiterated.
He also emphasises that Telegram has an official representative in the European Union who regularly engages with regulatory bodies.
According to Durov, French authorities had several channels of communication to reach out for assistance before resorting to legal action.
He also expresses disappointment, noting he previously collaborated with French officials on security issues, including helping establish a hotline to address terrorism concerns in France.
Durov’s statement also spoke on Telegram’s efforts to monitor and remove illegal content from the platform.
Admitting that Telegram had faced “growing pains,” especially with its user base being up to 950 million.
This expansion, he explains, has made it more challenging to prevent misuse, but he was committed to improving security measures.
Privacy vs. Security
One of the key points Durov raised in his defense was the difficulty of balancing privacy with security.
He states that Telegram refused to compromise its principles in countries like Russia and Iran.
In Russia, Telegram was banned after it refused to hand over encryption keys to enable monitoring of user communications.
A similar situation occurred in Iran when the platform declined to block channels used by peaceful protesters..
Durov noted that while Telegram is open to dialogue with regulators, it would rather leave a country than compromise its core principles of privacy and free expression.
He says the company’s mission is one of defending basic human rights, particularly in regions where those rights are under threat.
Implications for the Tech Industry
Durov’s arrest and charges show that there needs to be a conversation about the responsibilities of tech companies in monitoring content and cooperating with law enforcement.
It raises questions about where the line should be drawn between ensuring user privacy and preventing criminal activity.
Durov’s case could set an example on how governments handle regulation and enforcement in the digital space.
The CEO remains free on a €5 million bail but is prohibited from leaving France as the investigation continues.
He has pledged to work towards making Telegram safer while standing firm on his principles of privacy and security.
