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The founder and CEO of the messaging app Telegram, Pavel Durov, has been formally charged in France with a wide range of criminal offenses, including facilitating child sexual abuse material (CSAM), drug trafficking, and organized fraud. The charges stem from an investigation that began in February 2024, sparked by a separate case involving a suspect who used Telegram to lure underage girls into sending CSAM. French authorities allege that Telegram ignored their request to identify the suspect, leading to a preliminary investigation into the company's unwillingness to cooperate with law enforcement.
The Paris criminal court, which is overseeing the investigation, has accused Telegram of being complicit in storing and distributing CSAM, facilitating drug trafficking, and enabling fraudulent activities. They point to the platform's lack of content moderation tools and processes, which they argue allow for these illegal activities to flourish. Telegram currently has 950 million monthly active users and, according to Durov, only 30 engineers working on the app's moderation. This lack of moderation, coupled with Telegram's alleged refusal to cooperate with law enforcement, has led to the formal charges against Durov.
Durov was arrested on August 24th after arriving in France and spent four days in police custody before being released on bail. He is required to remain in France throughout the investigation, which could last several months or even a year. While the charges are serious, it's important to note that being placed under formal investigation in the French judicial system does not automatically mean a trial will occur. Authorities could still decide to drop the charges if they believe the evidence is insufficient. However, the fact that the investigation has progressed to this stage suggests that authorities believe there is substantial evidence to justify further probing.
Source: France formally charges Telegram founder, Pavel Durov, over organized crime on messaging app