Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of Telegram, has been released on bail set at 5 million euros (approximately $5.5 million) after being charged in France.
Charges and Arrest
According to a report from the New York Times, French authorities charged Durov on Wednesday with multiple offenses, including complicity in managing a platform used for illegal transactions and failure to cooperate with law enforcement. He was arrested on Saturday and has been formally charged since then.
Statement by Prosecutor
Laure Beccuau, the Paris prosecutor, stated that Telegram has been linked to several serious crimes, including child exploitation, drug trafficking, and online hate crimes. She noted that Telegram has shown a near-total lack of cooperation with Paris prosecutors’ requests, leading to the charges against Durov. Other legal authorities in France and Europe share these concerns.
Conditions of Release
As part of his release, Durov has been ordered not to leave the country and to report to a police station twice a week.
The charges against Pavel Durov underscore the growing concern of European authorities about the use of social media platforms for illegal activities and their cooperation with law enforcement.
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