Pavel Durov’s arrest prompted questions about to what degree executives are responsible for content on their platforms.
French authorities charged Telegram CEO Pavel Durov with six crimes on Wednesday related to allegations that the tech leader allowed illegal activity to proliferate on his platform.
Following Durov’s arrest this weekend, Telegram said in an unattributed statement that the CEO has « nothing to hide », that the company abides by « EU laws », and that « it is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner is responsible for the abuse of that platform. »
The influential messaging platform has grown to be a primary source of information in the war in Ukraine and Russia but has repeatedly been called out by critics and researchers for refusing to remove graphic, misleading, and sometimes criminal content. Despite consistent pressure to do so from governments around the world, Telegram rarely shuts down channels or removes posts from its servers.
Over the weekend, authorities in France arrested Durov, later stating in a press release that there was an ongoing investigation into posts related to images of child sexual abuse, drug trafficking, and money laundering, among other offenses. On Wednesday, he was charged.
In France’s criminal justice system, Durov’s indictment allows for more time for investigation.
