Telegram CEO Durov Criticizes Ongoing French Investigation After Arrest

Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has strongly criticized French authorities over his arrest in 2024 related to allegations that Telegram facilitated criminal activity through insufficient content moderation. Despite being detained for four days and placed under judicial control requiring him to report every 14 days, no evidence has been found implicating Durov or Telegram in wrongdoing, with prosecutors struggling to prove the charges. Durov condemned the arrest as legally and logically absurd, emphasizing that holding a platform CEO accountable for users' actions lacks legal basis and damages France's reputation as a free country. He highlighted procedural failures by French police, who did not follow proper legal channels before his arrest, and reaffirmed Telegram's compliance with all legally binding requests, maintaining that its content moderation aligns with industry standards. Telegram has taken steps to remove harmful content and cooperated with investigations, but Durov insists the accusations are unfounded and pledges to continue fighting the charges. The case remains unresolved, with Durov still subject to judicial supervision and no appeal date scheduled.