Pavel Durov, CEO of the messaging app Telegram, spoke out about his arrest by French authorities and the ongoing criminal investigation against him.
Current Status of Pavel Durov's Arrest
Durov was arrested on August 24, 2024, at Le Bourget airport in France and charged with 12 crimes, including involvement in illegal activities like money laundering and sharing child sexual abuse material through Telegram. Durov stated that the arrest was 'absurd' and 'unprecedented', arguing that blaming a company's CEO for user actions is logically unfair. He also claimed that the French police ignored French and EU laws, failing to send any requests to Telegram through the required legal process.
Support for Telegram and TON Integration
Durov's arrest sparked significant attention and support from the cryptocurrency community, particularly due to Telegram's integration with The Open Network (TON). TON's native token, Toncoin, ranks as the 21st largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization. Additionally, Verb Technology, which owns over 8% of Toncoin, announced plans to change its name to Ton Strategy Company.
Questions on Platform Liability
The case has also raised questions about whether the heads of online platforms should be held accountable for content posted by their users. Despite a year of investigation, French authorities have struggled to find any evidence of wrongdoing by either Durov or Telegram.
The situation surrounding Pavel Durov's arrest continues to spark public discussions about the role and responsibility of online platforms, as well as the implications for their leaders in cases of legal violations.
