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Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov has broken his silence and spoke out for the first time since French authorities targeted him for allegedly facilitating illegal activities on the messaging platform. In a Telegram message late on Thursday, Durov expressed his shock at being charged and maintained that he should not be held personally responsible for crimes committed by others on the platform.
Durov argued that it is unfair to use outdated laws to prosecute a CEO for the actions of third parties on his platform. He emphasized the challenges of building technology and warned that holding innovators personally liable for the misuse of tools would stifle innovation and discourage the creation of new technologies.
While acknowledging that Telegram is not a perfect platform free from misuse, Durov admitted that the platform’s growing user base had made it easier for criminals to abuse the service. He vowed to take action to address these issues internally and promised to provide updates on the steps being taken to combat criminal activity on the platform.
The ordeal began when French authorities seized Durov at Le Bourget airport near Paris in late August and questioned him for four days as part of an investigation that was initiated earlier this year. Durov, who holds French citizenship despite being originally from Russia, was released on bail of 5 million euros and is required to report to the police twice a week.
The French authorities have accused Durov of facilitating drug trafficking and the distribution of child sexual abuse content on Telegram. They also allege that the platform has failed to cooperate with law enforcement requests for information when required by law.
Durov refuted these claims and highlighted the various ways in which Telegram cooperates with authorities to address illegal content on the platform. He pointed out that Telegram has a public email contact for an EU representative who responds to queries, a system for users to report unlawful material, and contact information for competent EU and EU member authorities to request assistance.
He also noted that French authorities had multiple avenues to reach out to him for assistance, including his prior collaboration with them to establish a hotline to combat terrorism in France. Durov emphasized that the established practice for countries unhappy with an internet service is to take legal action against the service itself, rather than targeting individual employees.
In conclusion, Durov reiterated his commitment to improving the safety and security of Telegram and expressed his determination to work with authorities to address any concerns regarding illegal activity on the platform. He urged for a fair and just resolution to the situation and emphasized the importance of maintaining a balance between innovation and accountability in the technology sector.