Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov has been granted permission to leave France and return to Dubai while French authorities continue their investigation against him, the BBC reports, reports News.bg.
The technology entrepreneur was detained in August 2024 upon his arrival in Paris on charges that he failed to provide sufficient control over content on his platform related to criminal activity. Durov categorically denies refusing to cooperate with law enforcement in cases related to drug trafficking, fraud and the distribution of child sexual abuse material.
A French court initially prevented Durov from leaving the country, but on Monday it announced that "judicial supervision obligations" had been suspended between March 15 and April 7. Details of the terms of the release were not disclosed.
Durov, who lives in Dubai and holds citizenship in Russia, France, the UAE and St. Kitts and Nevis, said on Telegram: “The process is ongoing, but it feels great to be home.“
Telegram has an estimated 950 million users and is particularly popular in Russia, Ukraine and Iran. The platform bills itself as a privacy advocate, but investigations by media outlets such as the BBC have revealed that it is being used by criminal groups to sell drugs, commit cybercrime and distribute illegal content.
The company rejects accusations that it is not taking enough moderation action, calling Durov's arrest ““ However, following his arrest, Telegram has implemented a number of changes, including:
- Joining the Internet Watch Foundation to combat child exploitation
- Providing IP addresses and phone numbers of violators to authorities
- Publishing reports of downloaded content – a practice it had previously avoided.