France accuses Telegram CEO of criminal activities on the platform

Pavel Durov, CEO of Telegram, has been charged in France for allegedly allowing criminal activities through the app. He has been placed under judicial supervision and banned from entering the country.

To avoid a prison sentence, Durov paid a bail of five million euros and must report to the police twice a week.

The headlines determine: The charges came shortly after Durov was arrested on August 24 at Le Bourget airport near Paris. French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed the arrest, which is related to ongoing investigations.

• Durov is accused of remaining passive in cyber and financial crimes on the Telegram platform.

The big picture: The charges against Durov include allegations of child pornography, drug trafficking and fraudulent transactions via Telegram.

• Macron said the arrest was not politically motivated and stressed France's commitment to freedom of expression, innovation and entrepreneurship.

The background story: Founded in 2013, Telegram has grown to become one of the world's most popular messaging apps, boasting over 800 million active users and a particularly strong presence in Russia and Ukraine.

• The platform prioritizes user privacy and security through features like end-to-end encryption.
• Durov was born in Russia in 1984 and founded the Russian social network VKontakte, but left the company in 2014 under pressure from the Russian government.
• After leaving VK, Durov founded Telegram and amassed immense wealth and influence. His commitment to free speech and resistance to government censorship have attracted activists and journalists to the platform.