Telegram founder Durov charged with alleged criminal activities on the platform

ANKARA: Pavel Durov, CEO of social media platform Telegram, faces preliminary charges in France for allegedly allowing criminal activities on the messaging application, Anadolu News Agency (AA) reported on Wednesday, citing press reports.

Authorities accuse Telegram of facilitating the distribution of material about child sexual abuse, drug trafficking, fraud and money laundering. As Sky News reported, the company allegedly refused to cooperate with investigators.

Telegram has denied the allegations and said its moderation policies comply with EU laws and meet industry standards.

The company called the allegations “absurd” and argued that it was unfair to blame a platform or its owner for criminal abuse, the media company said.

Russian-born Durov, who has been a French citizen since 2021, was arrested after his private jet landed at Le Bourget airport near Paris.

French judges banned him from leaving the country until the investigation was completed, but he avoided a prison sentence by posting bail of five million euros (over $5.5 billion).

Russia described Durov's arrest as politically motivated, thereby exacerbating the controversy surrounding this high-profile case.