- Court Proceedings and Potential Charges
- International Reactions and Legal Context
- Reaction to Release and Telegram's Future
Pavel Durov, the founder of messaging app Telegram, was released from police custody and transferred to court for questioning ahead of a potential indictment.
Court Proceedings and Potential Charges
Durov was detained on Saturday on a warrant related to Telegram’s lack of content moderation. He is under investigation for alleged complicity in aiding crimes, including fraud, drug trafficking, and the dissemination of child pornography through the platform. Telegram has also faced scrutiny for its use by terrorist groups and far-right extremists. Durov, 39, was held for up to 96 hours, the maximum period allowed under French law before formal charges must be filed. Following his release, he was transported from the anti-fraud office near Paris to a court in the French capital for initial questioning, which could lead to an indictment.
International Reactions and Legal Context
The arrest has intensified debates over freedom of speech, particularly in Russia and Ukraine, where Telegram is widely used as a communication tool among military personnel and citizens amid the ongoing conflict between the two nations. The Kremlin has attempted to reassure Russian users about the app’s future, with a government spokesperson urging people not to delete sensitive messages from the platform. French President Emmanuel Macron addressed the situation, stating that the decision to pursue charges against Durov was “in no way political.”
Reaction to Release and Telegram's Future
Durov, who launched Telegram in 2013 with his brother Nikolai, has built the app into one of the world’s most widely used messaging platforms, boasting over 950 million users as of last month. Conversations on Telegram are encrypted, limiting oversight by law enforcement agencies and the platform itself. Following the announcement of his release, the blockchain associated with Telegram, TON, saw a 7% increase.
Durov’s legal troubles and their potential implications continue to be closely watched as the situation unfolds in the coming days.
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